Super Eagles Coach Austine Eguavoen has listed 32 players in his provisional list for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 play-off round against the Black Stars of Ghana later this month.
Captain Ahmed Musa, vice-captain William Troost Ekong, midfield anchorman Wifred Ndidi and one of the just concluded AFCON stars Moses Simon and Kelechi Iheanacho have all been called up.
Others listed include goalkeepers Maduka Okoye and Daniel Akpeyi, while defender Abdullahi Shehu makes a return after missing the AFCON in Cameroon; defender Calvin Bassey and forward Emmanuel Dennis also return to the fold of the three –time African champions.
Also recalled is midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo after his time on the sidelines, while Leicester City FC forward Ademola Lookman, who was recently cleared by FIFA to switch international allegiance and former U17 World Cup star Akinkunmi Amoo are officially called up for the first time.
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Meanwhile, 2013 AFCON winner Ogenyi Onazi and 2021 AFCON forwards Taiwo Awoniyi and Peter Olayinka and defender Chidozie Awaziem are in a seven-man standby list.
According to the release from the NFF, the team’s camp will open in Abuja on 21st March, with a 24 –man final list for the double-header to be released at a later date.
Nigeria and Ghana will renew their rivalry at the Cape Coast Sports Stadium on Friday 25th March, before the reverse fixture at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Tuesday, 29th March. The winner of the tie will qualify for the Qatar Mundial in November later this year.
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)
