Cybereagles

AFCON 2023: Peseiro, NFF clash over final Super Eagles squad
There is currently tension between the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, and the head coach of the national team, Jose Peseiro, over the final squad list for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

Sources told DAILY POST that Peseiro has submitted a 25-man squad ahead of the tournament.

But the NFF is putting pressure on the 63-year-old to make it 27 players.

Peseiro, however, feels 25 players will be easier for him to manage instead of 27.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) allows countries to name up to 27 players in their AFCON squads. But only 23 will be registered on match days.

Peseiro had clashed with the NFF over the original provisional list, submitting 40 players instead of 50 the federation wanted.

https://dailypost.ng/2023/12/28/afcon-2 ... les-squad/

ALL THE INVITED PLAYERS:

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabili (Chippa United, South Africa); Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus); Olorunleke Ojo (Enyimba FC)

Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Chidozie Awaziem (Boavista FC, Portugal); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce FC, Turkey); William Troost-Ekong (PAOK Salonika, Greece); Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal); Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa FC, Turkey); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal)

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Joe Ayodele-Aribo (Southampton FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England)

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Sivasspor K, Turkey); Victor Osimhen (Napoli SC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad, Spain); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)

NFF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT

Peseiro names 25 players as Super Eagles seek fourth AFCON title in Cote d’Ivoire

Three-time champions Nigeria have picked a team of 25 players for their onslaught for a fourth Africa Cup of Nations title, with Head Coach Jose Peseiro settling for usual suspects in a roster that has three goalkeepers, nine defenders, five midfielders and eight forwards.

Captain Ahmed Musa returns to the squad after he was left out of the starting games to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification series, while South Africa-based goalkeeper Stanley Nwabili is picked alongside Francis Uzoho and Olorunleke Ojo.

2009 U17 World Cup star Kenneth Omeruo (the only other candidate in the team apart from Musa who was in Nigeria’s 2013 squad that triumphed in South Africa) leads the defenceline alongside William Ekong, as well as Olaoluwa Aina, Oluwasemilogo Ajayi, Calvin Bassey, Zaidu Sanusi, Chidozie Awaziem, Bright Osayi-Samuel and Bruno Onyemaechi.

Wilfred Ndidi is also back in the roost after missing the World Cup qualifying matches against Lesotho and Zimbabwe, and will be expected to adequately feed the strike-force alongside Alex Iwobi, Raphael Onyedika, Joe Ayodele-Aribo and Frank Onyeka.

Musa, Nigeria’s record goalscorer at the FIFA World Cup finals with a brace each in Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018, is in the forward-line alongside Africa Player of the Year Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Iheanacho, Moses Simon, Samuel Chukwueze, Victor Boniface, Sadiq Umar and Ademola Lookman.

All the 25 players will depart from their different bases on Tuesday, 2nd January to fly into Abu Dhabi, capital city of the United Arab Emirates, for a one-week training camp that will last until Tuesday, 9th January. The team will fly back to Lagos on Tuesday 9th January, and then fly into the Ivorian capital, Abidjan on Wednesday, 10th January.

The Super Eagles, in their quest for a fourth continental title, will take on Equatorial Guinea on Sunday, 14th January in their first match of Group A, before further clashes with host nation Cote d’Ivoire (18th January) and Guinea Bissau (22nd January).

Nigeria, who will be participating in the Africa Cup of Nations for the 20th time, were champions as hosts in 1980, triumphant in Tunisia in 1994 and crowned winners in South Africa in 2013.

When Cote d’Ivoire hosted the finals in 1984, a young Nigerian squad led by the inimitable Stephen Keshi went all the way to the Final, before losing to much-experienced Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in a memorable Final at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan.

ALL THE INVITED PLAYERS:

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabili (Chippa United, South Africa); Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus); Olorunleke Ojo (Enyimba FC)

Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Chidozie Awaziem (Boavista FC, Portugal); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce FC, Turkey); William Troost-Ekong (PAOK Salonika, Greece); Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal); Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa FC, Turkey); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal)

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Joe Ayodele-Aribo (Southampton FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England)

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Sivasspor K, Turkey); Victor Osimhen (Napoli SC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad, Spain); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)

ANC wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2023 6:10 pmMusa?

Ugbowo wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2023 6:03 pm My main issue with the list.....

Moffi over Sadiq then maybe Tella over Musa.

The goalkeepers and the midfield are a bit meh....but it's whats to be expected.

I am really shocked about Moffi.

ANC wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2023 6:10 pmMusa?

anointed wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2023 6:07 pm What are the rationales for Francis Uzoho and Ahmed Musa being on this team?

Enugu II wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2023 6:24 pm

anointed wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2023 6:07 pm What are the rationales for Francis Uzoho and Ahmed Musa being on this team?

Anointed,

IMHO, there are few surprises with this selection given the manager's invitations. Uzoho was always going to make the team and BTW he will be the starter for at least the first game Take that to the bank given how Managers often operate. However, the invitation of Nwabili is a clear message that Uzoho is on a short leash and i believe Uzoho knows that.

As for Ebuehi, he had very little chance to make this team and he has not shown that he belongs to a squad making it to the AFCON. Certainly not with his SE performances.

Given how players have been used, the real surprise is Moffi not making it and instead Sadiq taking his place. That is surely a surprise.

On Musa, all of us know that this is a huge surprise and this might just be a valedictory gift and agreement with Musa. That is just my thought.

Ugbowo wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2023 6:03 pm My main issue with the list.....

Moffi over Sadiq then maybe Tella over Musa.

The goalkeepers and the midfield are a bit meh....but it's whats to be expected.

I am really shocked about Moffi.

Tobi17 wrote: ↑Fri Dec 29, 2023 6:44 pm Musa is a typical story of "monkey dey work baboon dey chop", this piece of sh*t played absolutely no role in the AFCON qualifiers yet easily made the final team on the basis of quota system...man, Nigeria is truly a sorry state, I actually detest Musa but I'll hold myself from saying what i want to say.