In line with AFCON 2022 preparation, the newly appointed Super Eagles Coaching crew released a list of 29 players invited to take part in the National team friendly matches against Ecuador and Mexico before the Eagles head up for Sierra Leone in their first AFCON qualifiers games.
Eight players gained call-up from the local league (NPFL) among the twenty-nine players invited to participate in both friendlies games against Mexico which will take place at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on May 28, 2022. The second friendly will be against Ecuador at the Red Bull Arena, New York, on 2 June 2022.
Napoli talisman Victor Osimhen, Odion Igalo, Wilfred Ndidi, and Ademola Lookman, all were not spotted in the list. According to a source, Victor Osimhen had informed the Super Eagles about his absence and would not be available.
The list includes eight home-based players and twenty professional players:
Twenty-five players will make the finalist list from the twenty-nine invited in preparation towards the Eagle’s game against Sierra Leone on 9th June and the second tier which will hold on the 13th June at the São Tomé & Príncipe in Marrakech, Morocco.
Goalkeepers
Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands); Adewale Adeyinka (Akwa United); Ojo Olorunleke (Enyimba FC)
Defenders
Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Abdullahi Shehu (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Isa Ali (Remo Stars); Chidozie Awaziem (Alanyaspor FC, Turkey); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Ibrahim Buhari (Plateau United)
Midfielders
Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Oghenekaro Etebo (Watford FC, England); Chiamaka Madu (Rivers United); Babatunde Afeez Nosiru (Kwara United); Azubuike Okechukwu (Yeni Malatyaspor, Turkey); Samson Tijani (Red Bull Salzburg, Austria); Alhassan Yusuf (Royal Antwerp FC, Belgium)
Forwards
Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Ademola Lookman (Leicester City, England); Sadiq Umar (UD Almeria, Spain); Emmanuel Dennis (Watford FC, England); Cyriel Dessers (Feyenoord FC, The Netherlands); Victor Mbaoma (Enyimba FC); Ishaq Rafiu (Rivers United)
