Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser Gernot Rohr has listed team captain Ahmed Musa, deputy captain William Ekong and 21 others for the Super Eagles’ upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifiers.
Ademola Olajire, Director of Communications at the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), disclosed this on Thursday in a statement.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Super Eagles’ upcoming qualifiers are the games against the Central African Republic (CAR) in Lagos and Douala next week.
The qualifiers’ Match Day 3 encounter will hold at the Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos on Oct. 7, while with the Match Day 4 match will hold in Douala, Cameroon on Oct. 10.
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With the maximum six points from their first two matches of the campaign —- against Liberia in Lagos and Cape Verde in Mindelo earlier this month —- the Eagles will be hoping for an en core.
Rohr has now largely kept faith with the troops that delivered in a September to remember.
Goalkeepers Maduka Okoye, Francis Uzoho and Daniel Akpeyi are returning, just as defenders William Ekong, Abdullahi Shehu, Chidozie Awaziem, Leon Balogun, Jamilu Collins, Olaoluwa Aina and Kenneth Omeruo are returning.
Kevin Akpoguma, who missed the last games as a result of illness, and new call-up Calvin Ughelumba of Glasgow Rangers FC in Scotland are joining the defenceline.
With midfielders Wilfred Ndidi and Oghenekaro Etebo out injured, the lot falls on Frank Onyeka and Joseph Ayodele-Aribo to replicate their firm handling of things in the middle in Mindelo.
Rohr has now listed England-based duo Alex Iwobi and Kelechi Iheanacho in the midfield.
Team captain Musa leads the line at the fore, with in-form France-based Moses Simon, Victor Osimhen, Chidera Ojuke, Paul Onuachu and Samuel Kalu also called up.
Victory in both games will all but guarantee the Super Eagles’ passage to the all-important knockout rounds scheduled for March 2022, which will produce Africa’s five flagbearers in Qatar.
THE FULL LIST
Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); 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); Ola Aina (Torino FC, Italy)
Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Abdullahi Shehu (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Calvin Ughelumba (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Kevin Akpoguma (TSG Hoffenheim, Germany)
Midfielders: Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Galsgow Rangers, Scotland); Innocent Bonke (Malmo FF, Sweden); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England)
Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey); Samuel Kalu (FC Bordeaux, France); Victor Osimhen (Napoli FC, Italy); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Paul Onuachu (KRC Genk, Belgium) and Chidera Ejuke (CSKA Moscow, Russia)
(NAN)