By Harry Awurumibe, Editor-in-Chief, Abuja
Super Eagles
Caretaker Head Coach, Augustine Eguavoen has named Leicester City FC of England defender, Wilfred Ndidi and recuperating Victor Osimhen of SS Napoli in his 28-final list of the Super Eagles of Nigeria for the 33rd Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) which will take place in Cameroon from January 9 to February 6, 2022, just as Captain Ahmed Musa and Al Shabab FC Odion Jude Ighalo also made the cut.
This is even as K.R.C Genk of Belgium goalpoacher, Paul Ebere Onuachu was not so lucky to make the list on the grounds of injury. He is said to have been ruled out for up to six weeks after suffering injury in a league match.
Big Absentee…Super Eagles striker, Paul Onuachu celebrating Nigeria’s lone goal victory over Benin Republic in Porto Novo earlier this year,. Injury has ruled him out of AFCON 2021.
Eguavoen, a former Nigeria captain, who coached the Super Eagles to third-place finish at the finals in Egypt 15 years ago, selected four goalkeepers, nine defenders, five midfielders and 10 forwards to aim for Nigeria’s fourth diadem in Cameroon.
Goalkeepers Maduka Okoye and Francis Uzoho; defenders Kenneth Omeruo, Olaoluwa Aina and Abdullahi Shehu, midfielders Joseph Ayodele-Aribo and Chidera Ejuke and forwards Moses Simon, Odion Ighalo and Samuel Chukwueze are also on the roster.
There is a return to the group for former U17 World Cup –winning captain Kelechi Nwakali, forward Emmanuel Dennis and 2016 Olympics star Sadiq Umar.
The list looks fair as every Nigerian player doing well in their clubs within and outside Nigeria have been invited, although there are talks that perhaps Onuachu who had scored vital away goal for Nigeria against Benin Republic during the qualifiers recover in time for AFCON.
All invited players, bar the UK-based crew, are expected to arrive in camp in the Nigeria’s federal capital, Abuja on 29th December, with the UK-based players expected to start arriving on Monday, 3rd January.
The three-time AFCON winners will confront seven-time and record winners Egypt, Sudan and debutants Guinea Bissau with venue in the northern town of Garoua, and a mouth-watering clash with the Pharaohs in the group opener on Tuesday, January 11 means the Eagles must hit the ground at blistering pace.
SUPER EAGLES’ SQUAD FOR CAMEROON 2021
Goalkeepers:
Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); John Noble (Enyimba FC); Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands).
Defenders:
Chidozie Awaziem (Alanyaspor FC, Turkey); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Abdullahi Shehu (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Olisa Ndah (Orlando Pirates, South Africa)
Midfielders:
Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Galsgow Rangers, Scotland); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Chidera Ejuke (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Kelechi Nwakali (SD Huesca, Spain)
Forwards:
Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Victor Osimhen (Napoli FC, Italy); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Sadiq Umar (UD Almeria, Spain); Taiwo Awoniyi (Union Berlin, Germany); Odion Jude Ighalo (Al-Shabab Riyadh, Saudi Arabia); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Emmanuel Dennis (Watford FC, England).
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