The other countries to benefit are Ivory Coast, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, and Sudan.
Keshi made big changes after Nigeria failed to qualify for last year's event in Equatorial Guinea and Gabon -- a turbulent period for the national team, which was suspended from international football by President Goodluck Jonathan before world ruling body FIFA threatened to intervene.