Sports Revelation Online ..breaking authenic sports reports
By Harry Awurumibe, Editor-in-Chief
On the March Again. ..Super Eagles
To ensure that Super Eagles qualify for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations without much difficulty, Head Coach José Santos Peseiro has invited no fewer than seven Nigeria’s best strikers in Europe in the just concluded top European football leagues including Victor Osimhen, whose 31 goals in all competitions for SSC Napoli this season helped his club to win their first Italian Serie A title in 33 years, for next weekend’s AFCON qualifier match against the Leone Stars of Sierra Leone in Monrovia.
Other sharp-shooters in the invited list are Ademola Lookman of Atalanta FC, Italy who finished third in Serie A goalscoring chart; Moses Simon of Nantes FC, France; Samuel Chukwueze of Villarreal FC, Spain who was voted the 2023 Best African Player in La Liga; Taiwo Awoniyi of Nottingham Forest, England; Kelechi Iheanacho of Leicester City, England and captain Ahmed Musa of Sivasspor, Turkey.
Peseiro also invited two home-based players in Victor Sochima of Rivers United and Olorunleke Ojo of Enyimba FC after the coach had watched the duo in action in the on-going Nigeria Professional Football League Super Six Play-off in Lagos just as he invited Rivers United defender Ebube Duru and Bendel Insurance FC midfielder Divine Nwachukwu, who are doing well in the competition in Lagos.
Aside Osimhen who has also recently been honoured with the National Award of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) by the Government of Nigeria, and has received a special ball and jersey from world football-ruling body, FIFA for his magnificent season, Peseiro invited defenders William Ekong, Kenneth Omeruo, Zaidu Sanusi, Calvin Bassey, Oluwasemilogo Ajayi and Bright Osayi-Samuel; midfielders Wilfred Ndidi and Frank Onyeka are also in the 23-man roster.
The Super Eagles are top of their qualification group with nine points out of four matches, followed by Guinea Bissau’s Wild Dogs who have seven points. Leone Stars, who gave the Eagles a tough run in Abuja on Day 1 of the qualification series before succumbing 2-1, are on five points. Sao Tome and Principe, who play the Super Eagles on the final day of the series in September, are bottom with only one point.
Josè Peseiro
Nigeria and Sierra Leone clash at the Samuel Kanyon Doe Stadium in Monrovia on Sunday, 18 June, as Sierra Leone do not have any stadium in their country approved for international matches.
ALL THE INVITED PLAYERS:
Goalkeepers: Adebayo Adeleye (Hapoel Jerusalem, Israel); Victor Sochima (Rivers United); Olorunleke Ojo (Enyimba FC).
Defenders: William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Calvin Bassey (Ajax FC, The Netherlands); Kevin Akpoguma (TSG Hoffenheim, Germany); Chidiebube Duru (Rivers United); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce FC, Turkey).
Midfielders: Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Southampton FC, England); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Divine Nwachukwu (Bendel Insurance); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England).
Forwards: Moses Simon (Nantes FC, France); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Victor Osimhen (SSC Napoli, Italy); Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest, England); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Ahmed Musa (Sivasspor K, Turkey).