Duro Ikhazuagbe
Reigning Africa Player of the Year, Victor Osimhen, has returned to the Super Eagles’ after he missed the first leg of the AFCON 2025 qualifier against Libya and the reverse fixture that was botched due to the ill-mannered conducts of the North Africans last month.
Osimhen missed the Libyan game after coping injury at Turkish champions Galatasaray.
In the 23-man list of invited players by Coach Augustine Eguavoen and released by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) yesterday, the Napoli player on loan at Galatasaray, along with Captain William Troost-Ekong, Atalanta of Italy’s Ademola Lookman and effervescent winger, Moses Simon, and 19 other Eagles will seek for six points against Benin Republic and Rwanda in the closing rounds of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign this month.
Also in the squad are usual suspects like goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali and Maduka Okoye, defenders Calvin Bassey and Bright Osayi-Samuel.
The midfield have the likes of Frank Onyeka, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi, and forwards Kelechi Iheanacho, Victor Boniface and Samuel Chukwueze.
Home-based defender, Victor Collins of Nasarawa United will join up with the group for the first time, and there is a return for gangling forward Sadiq Umar, who plays for Real Sociedad in Spain.
Defenders Olaoluwa Aina and Bruno Onyemaechi are also listed, while France-based defender Gabriel Osho will hope to play his first competitive game for fatherland, after his inability to honour a first call-up in the summer due to injury.
Missing from Eguavoen’s squad is the duo of Taiwo Awoniyi and Benjamin Tanimu.
The Super Eagles will fly directly to Abidjan on 11 November, for the confrontation with the Cheetahs of Benin Republic at the Stade Felix-Houphouet-Boigny on Thursday, 14th November, before traveling down to Uyo for the final qualifying game against the Amavubi of Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium on Monday, 18th November.
Currently top of their Group D, the Super Eagles will be certain of a place in the final tournament if they get a point against the Cheetahs, which will take then to 11 points, and with only final-day opponents Rwanda capable of catching up with them on points.
However, with a current tally of seven goals for and none against (following the CAF Disciplinary Board’s award of three points and three goals for the botched Matchday 4 encounter against Libya), the Super Eagles stand head and shoulders above the Amavubi, who have one-goal deficit and five points in their favour going into the final two matchdays.
Invited Players:
Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Amas Obasogie (Fasil Kenema SC, Ethiopia)
Defenders: William Troost-Ekong (Al-Kholood FC, Saudi Arabia); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce SK, Turkey); Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal); Gabriel Osho (AJ Auxerre, France); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Victor Collins (Nasarawa United)
Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Lazio FC. Italy); Frank Onyeka (Augsburg FC, Germany); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England)
Forwards: Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Sevilla FC, Spain); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad, Spain)
