Nigeria national team head coach Gernot Rohr has announced a 24-man squad for the upcoming 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Benin and Lesotho.
The Super Eagles will face Benin on Monday, March 22 and seven days later host Lesotho in Group L’s last game at Teslim Balogun Stadium in Lagos.
Rohr retained a bulk of players he selected for their double-header against Sierra Leone in November last year with Kenneth Omeruo, Francis Uzoho, Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho all cracking the nod.
Unattached attacker Ahmed Musa remains the captain despite being inactive since leaving Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr in October.
Musa was to join English Premier League side West Bromwich Albion but the deal failed to materialize due to the club’s lack of finances.
Sadiq Umar, who plays for Almeria in the Spanish second-tier has received his maiden call-up to the squad, while top scorer in the Belgian league PaulOnuachu is on the standby alongside Galatasaray attacker Henry Onyekuru.
Nigeria are unbeaten in all four games played in their group so far, winning two and playing two draws to lead the log with eight points – just one point ahead of closest challengers, Benin.
Nigeria squad:
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 (Boavista, Portugal); William Troost-Ekong (Watford, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Fulham FC, England); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn, Germany); Zaidu Sanusi (Porto, Portugal); Tyronne Ebuehi (Twente, The Netherlands)
Midfielders: Oghenekaro Etebo (Galatasaray, 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, England); Sadiq Umar (Almeria, Spain); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal, Spain); Victor Osimhen (Napoli, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Samuel Kalu (Girondins Bordeaux, France); Moses Simon (Nantes, France)
Standby: Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa); Henry Onyekuru (Galatasaray, Turkey); Peter Olayinka (Slavia Praha, Czech Republic); Terem Moffi (Lorient, France); Paul Onuachu (KRC Genk, Belgium); Michael Olise (Reading, England); Adekunle Adeleke (Abia Warriors)
