There were some new faces and plenty of the expected names as Super Eagles head coach Augustine Eguavoen announced his 28-man squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday.
The tournament will be held in Cameroon from 9 January to 6 February, 2022.
Kelechi Nwakali and Sadiq Umar, both playing in the Spanish second division, are the two new call-ups who have not been involved in the squad in recent times.
Defender Olisah Ndah, who plays for South Africa’s Orlando Pirates, is also back in the main Super Eagles squad after featuring for the B team.
Odion Ighalo, the 32-year-old Al Shabab of Saudi Arabia striker who recently returned from international retirement, is also included in the squad, which was expanded to 28 by the Confederation of African Football specifically for this tournament because of the effects of Covid-19.
The regular faces in the squad include captain Ahmed Musa, Leicester City pair Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho, as well as Everton’s Alex Iwobi and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen who is recovering from surgery after breaking his facial bones in a clash of heads in November.
Goalkeepers Maduka Okoye and Francis Uzoho, defenders Kenneth Omeruo, Olaoluwa Aina and Abdullahi Shehu, midfielders Joe Aribo and Chidera Ejuke, and forwards Moses Simon and Samuel Chukwueze are also in Eguavoen’s squad.
Enyimba goalkeeper John Noble is the only home-based player in the selection.
Watford forward Emmanuel Dennis and Union Berlin striker Taiwo Awoniyi, who were both dropped by former coach Gernot Rohr despite being in good form, have been brought back for the AFCON.
The Super Eagles will face record seven-time winners Egypt, Sudan and debutants Guinea Bissau in Group D, with their base in Garoua.
Nigeria’s first fixture at the tournament is against Egypt on 11 January in Garoua.
A breakdown of Eguavoen’s squad shows four goalkeepers, nine defenders, five midfielders and 10 forwards.
The Nigeria Football Federation says all invited players, except the United Kingdom-based ones, are scheduled to arrive in camp in Abuja on 29 December, with the UK-based players expected to start arriving on 3 January after the festive fixtures.
SUPER EAGLES’ SQUAD FOR AFCON 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 Aribo (Glasgow 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).
