SUPER Eagles interim head coach Augustine Eguavoen has called up 32 players in the provisional squad for the Qatar 2022 World Cup playoffs against Ghana.
Captain Ahmed Musa, deputy captain William Troost-Ekong, midfielder Wifred Ndidi and forwards Moses Simon and Kelechi Iheanacho are all included the squad.
Also called up are other players who were in the squad to the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in January, including goalkeepers Maduka Okoye and Daniel Akpeyi, defenders Kenneth Omeruo, Semi Ajayi and forward Samuel Chukwueze, while Victor Osimhen, Odion Ighalo, Abdullahi Shehu and Oghenekaro Etebo return after missing the continental showpiece in Cameroon.
Leicester City forward Ademola Lookman, recently cleared by FIFA to switch international allegiance to Nigeria, and former U-17 World Cup star Akinkunmi Amoo are officially called for the first time, while defender Calvin Bassey and forward Emmanuel Dennis also return.
AFCON forwards Taiwo Awoniyi and Peter Olayinka, defender Chidozie Awaziem and long-time absentee Ogenyi Onazi are in a seven-man standby list.
The camp opens in Abuja on 21 March, with a 24 –man final list for the two games to be released at a later date.
Nigeria face Ghana at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium from 7.30pm on Friday 25 March, with the reverse leg set for the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Tuesday, 29 March as from 6pm.
The winners over two legs will earn one of Africa’s five tickets to the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup scheduled for 14 November to 18 December.
FULL SQUAD:
Goalkeepers:
Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
Defenders:
Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Calvin Bassey (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Abdullahi Shehu (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal)
Midfielders:
Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Oghenekaro Etebo (Watford FC, England); Akinkunmi Amoo (FC Copenhagen, Denmark)
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); Odion Jude Ighalo (Al-Hilal FC, Saudi Arabia); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Emmanuel Dennis (Watford FC, England); Ademola Lookman (Leicester City, England)
Standby:
Chidozie Awaziem (Alanyaspor FC, Turkey); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Chidera Ejuke (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Taiwo Awoniyi (Union Berlin, Germany); Paul Onuachu (KRC Genk, Belgium); Peter Olayinka (SK Slavia Praha, Czech Republic); Ogenyi Onazi (Al-Adalah FC, Saudi Arabia)
Comments are closed.