Niger name squad for cup debut

Niger coach Harouna Douala revealed his final 23-man squad for the 2012 African Cup of Nations on Thursday.

The team are in preparations in Douala, Cameroon, and will complete their training camp on January 20 before heading for Libreville on the same day.

Niger coach Douala was named by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as the continent’s Coach of the Year for his work in helping his country qualify for their first ever Cup of Nations tournament.

The Niger FA hired former Marseille coach Frenchman Rolland Courbis to assist him during the tournament.

Niger have been placed in Group C against Gabon (co-hosts with Equatorial Guinea), Tunisia and Morocco. They open their tournament against the former on January 23.

Full squad: Losseni Doumbia (Motema Pembe), Daouda Kassaly (Coton Sport), Saminou Rabo (Sahel SC); Jimmy Bulus (Hussein Dey), Mohamed Chikoto (Platinium Stars), Kader Dodo (Olympique FC), Issiaka Koudize (Garde Nationale), Koffi Dan Kowa (ES Zarzis), Souleymane Mazadou (Marignanaise), Djibrilla Moussa (Garde Nationale), Mohamed Soumaïla (Olympique FC); Yacouba Ali (Africa Sports), Moutari Amadou (Akokana FC), Olivier Harouna Bonnes (Lille), Issoufou Boubacar (FC Phuket), Laouali Idrissa (AS FAN), Abdoul-Karim Lancina (Coton Sport), Boubacar Talatou (Orlando Pirates), William Tonji Ngounou (IF Limhamn), Idrissa Saïdou (Coton Sport); Alhassane Dante (Raja Casablanca), Kamilou Daouda (CS Sfaxien), Moussa Maazou (Zulte-Waregem).