AFCON Qualifiers: Super Eagles Boss, Rohr Invites Clubless Ahmed Musa, Victor Osimhen, Francis Uzoho, 21 Others

By Olamidotun Adeniyi On Mar 9, 2021

Rohr’s Preliminary Team List Ready As Eagles’ Camp Opens May 22 In Abuja — Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr.

Super Eagles Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr has included Captain Ahmed Musa in a 24-man list for this month’s 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying battles with Benin Republic and Lesotho.

Rohr has over time insisted that players who are not active in their clubs will not be considered for the national team.

However, he appears to have now gone against his standard with the inclusion of clubless Ahmed Musa on the squad for the games against Benin Republic on March 27 and versus Lesotho three days later in Lagos state.

The winger’s search for a new club after a shock departure from Saudi Arabia has not gone as planned after a proposed transfer to Premier League strugglers West Bromwich Albion crashed recently. He has since been with a club since last year.

Ahmed Musa is pressing hard to become only the third Nigerian player to win a century of international caps after Vincent Enyeama and Joseph Yobo.

However, Genk forward, Paul Onuachu was not invited despite being in top form for his Belgian club.

Some others in the list are deputy captain William Ekong, goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and forward Victor Osimhen.

Nigeria, top of the Group E table with eight points (one ahead of Benin Republic and five more than third-placed Sierra Leone), tackle the Squirrels (Benin) away at Stade Charles de Gaulle in Porto Novo on Saturday, 27th March.

Super Eagles will lock horns with the Crocodiles of Lesotho at Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos three days later. Both are the concluding games of the qualifying series.

Also included are Enyimba FC goalkeeper John Noble, defenders Leon Balogun, Kenneth Omeruo and Olaoluwa Aina, midfielders Oghenekaro Etebo and Joseph Ayodele-Aribo, and forwards Alex Iwobi, Moses Simon, and Samuel Chukwueze.

The versatile Abdullahi Shehu is listed as a midfielder this time and there is a first senior call for Spain-based forward Sadiq Umar.

Seven players, including long–time goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi, are on standby.

Rohr, who has steered Nigeria to qualify for two major tournaments (2018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations), with a game to spare, countenance even better accomplishment this time, as the Eagles could earn a ticket to the finals in Cameroon before kick-off in Porto Novo, should Lesotho and Sierra Leone end their encounter in Maseru in a stalemate. The result would be known before kick-off in Porto Novo.

See the list;

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (APOEL Nicosia, Cyprus); John Noble (Enyimba FC); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands)

Defenders: Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Chidozie Awaziem (FC Boavista, Portugal); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Fulham FC, England); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Tyronne Ebuehi (FC Twente, The Netherlands)

Midfielders: Oghenekaro Etebo (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Abdullahi Shehu (Omonia Nicosa, Cyprus); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England).

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Unattached); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Sadiq Umar (Almeria FC, Spain); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Victor Osimhen (Napoli FC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Samuel Kalu (FC Girondins Bordeaux, France); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France).

Standby: Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa); Henry Onyekuru (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Peter Olayinka (Slavia Praha, Czech Republic); Terem Moffi (FC Lorient, France); Paul Onuachu (KRC Genk, Belgium); Michael Olise (Reading FC, England) and Adekunle Adeleke (Abia Warriors).