Outrage as Rohr excludes topscorer, Onuachu, invite ‘clubless’ Musa, 23  others for Squirrels, Crocodile ties

Surprise and outright criticisms  have trailed Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr exclusion of Belgium leaque topscorer, Paul

Onuachu but has included unattached

Captain Ahmed Musa, deputy Captain William Ekong in a 24-man list for this month’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying battles with Benin Republic and Lesotho.

Other noteable names in the list are the first choice

 goalkeeper in the last FIFA World Cup final in Russia, Francis Uzoho; Leicester FC of England midfielder,   Wilfred Ndidi and his compatriot, Kelechi Iheanacho as well as SS Napoli of Italy forward, Victor Osimhen.

Although Rohr has placed Onuachu on the Standby List, many football followers have criticised the gaffer  for the invitation of a first timer Spain –based forward Sadiq Umar to the Super Eagles squad while overlooking Onuachu who is the current highest goalscorer in the Belgium top flight  leaque.

Chief Charles Azubuike a staunch supporter of the Super Eagles faulted Rohr’s decision to place  Onuachu who has been banging goals in Belgium with reckless abandon on Standby List while some players who are either inactive or less effective in the leaque.

Also, Babatunde Ajose who runs barbing saloon in Area 1 Abuja cannot see the reason Rohr invited Ahmed Musa who have been inactive for some months but left out many Nigerian players who are making waves in their clubs both in the local and overseas  leaques.

Nigeria, top of the Group E log with eight points (one ahead of Benin Republic and five more than third-placed Sierra Leone), tackle the Squirrels away at the Stade Charles de Gaulle in Porto Novo on Saturday, 27th March and will lock horns with the Crocodiles of Lesotho at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos three days later. Both are the concluding games of the qualifying series.

However, Enyimba International FC goalkeeper, John Noble also made the list alongside

defenders Leon Balogun, Kenneth Omeruo and Olaoluwa Aina, midfielders Oghenekaro Etebo and Joseph Ayodele-Aribo, and forwards Alex Iwobi, Moses Simon and Samuel Chukwueze.

The versatile Abdullahi Shehu is listed as a midfielder this time and there is a first senior call for Spain–based forward Sadiq Umar.

Seven players, including long –time goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi, are on standby.

Rohr, who has steered Nigeria to qualifying for two major tournaments (2018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations) with a game to spare, countenance even better accomplishment this time, as the Eagles could earn a ticket to the finals in Cameroon before kick-off in Porto Novo, should Lesotho and Sierra Leone end their encounter in Maseru in a stalemate. The result would be known before kick-off in Porto Novo.

THE FULL LIST

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (APOEL Nicosia, Cyprus); John Noble (Enyimba FC); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands)

Defenders: Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Chidozie Awaziem (FC Boavista, Portugal); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Fulham FC, England); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Tyronne Ebuehi (FC Twente, The Netherlands)

Midfielders: Oghenekaro Etebo (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Abdullahi Shehu (Omonia Nicosa, Cyprus); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England)

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Unattached); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Sadiq Umar (Almeria FC, Spain); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Victor Osimhen (Napoli FC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Samuel Kalu (FC Girondins Bordeaux, France); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France)

Standby: Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa); Henry Onyekuru (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Peter Olayinka (Slavia Praha, Czech Republic); Terem Moffi (FC Lorient, France); Paul Onuachu (KRC Genk, Belgium); Michael Olise (Reading FC, England); Adekunle Adeleke (Abia Warriors).