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… S. Africa based, three home-based goalies included
•Awoniyi dropped, Nwakali, Umar listed
By Emma Jemegah, With Reports
Super Eagles coach, Jose Peseiro has included captain Ahmed Musa, his assistant, William Troost-Ekong and three home-based goalkeepers as well as Chippa United of South Africa goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali in his 40-man provisional list of players submitted to the Confederation of Africa Football (CAF) for the 2024 AFCON in Cote d’Ivoire.
Also listed are long time absentees, Kelechi Nwakali and Umar Sadiq of Real Soceidad. However, a notable name missing in the list is Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi, who had been nursing a groin injury that forced him to withdraw from the Super Eagles squad during the World Cup qualifiers.
Apart from goalkeepers Francis Uzoho and Adebayo Adeleye, the Portuguese coach has extended invitations to Enyimba International of Aba goalkeeper, Ojo Olorunleke, Bendel Insurance’s Amas Obasogie and Sporting Lagos ‘keeper, Christian Nwoke.
The provisional list includes a rich collection of foreign-based professionals with only one based inside Africa.
Newly crowned African Footballer of the Year, Victor Osimhen leads the cast of the regular suspects that also includes Alex Iwobi, Samuel Chukwueze, Kelechi Iheanacho and Daddy Moses Simon.
Defender Kenneth Omeruo joined Musa in the list as the only two players team to have won the AFCON previously.
There’s also a category of zero to three caps players in the list that includes Belgium based players Alhassan Yusuf, Jordan Torunarigha and Kevin Akpoguma.
Peseiro has until January 3, 2024, eleven days to Nigeria’s opening game against Equatorial Guinea, to release his final list of not more than twenty-seven players for the tournament.
