August 27, (THEWILL) – The team sheet of the squad to prosecute Nigeria’s World Cup qualifiers during the international break in September has been released by Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr.
The German manager called up a total of 30 players to feature for Nigeria in the opening rounds of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualifying campaign.
In the schedule of two qualifiers, the first will be hosted in Lagos, Nigeria on Friday, September 3, where the Super Eagles will trade tackles with the Lone Stars of Liberia, while at the Estádio Nacional de Cabo Verde, the Eagles will face the Blue Sharks of Cape Verde on September 7.
Rohr decided on the tried and trusted in his selection that favoured regular squad members and the odd exception. In the goal post, keepers Maduka Okoye and Francis Uzoho returned and in front of them, standard defenders William Troost-Ekong, Abdullahi Shehu, Chidozie Awaziem and Leon Balogun will stand guard.
To enforce the team’s advance from the middle of the park, Rohr kept faith with midfielders Wilfred Ndidi and Oghenekaro Etebo while forwards such as Fatih Kamagumruk’s Ahmed Musa, Alex Iwobi, Moses Simon and Victor Osimhen will pursue the drive to get the goals that will take Nigeria to Qatar next year.
However, there was the need to make contingency plans especially as the government of the UK doubled down on an enforced 10-day quarantine for those who return from any of the countries in its regularly updated Red List of countries with prevalent COVID-19 infection spikes.
As THEWILL reported, it caused the EPL clubs to prohibit their players from international duties that involve playing in any of these countries in the Red List. As Cape Verde is in the list, and no fewer than 10 Nigerians who play in the UK will be affected, the invitation for the qualifiers was expanded to cater for the Cape Verde fixture where the invited UK-based players cannot play.
Joining the names already mentioned is Daniel Akpeyi, the Super Eagles goalkeeper now based on South Africa, and defenders Kenneth Omeruo, Kevin Akpoguma and Henry Onyekuru, based in the Greek side, Olympiacos Piraeus. Among the odd exceptions are junior international Kingsley Michael and Swedish-based Innocent Bonke who earns his first international cap.
The Teslim Balogun Stadium will be the host venue for the first of the two fixtures as the Super Eagles, who have featured in six of the past seven FIFA World Cup finals, begin the conquest to the next one against Liberia at 5.00pm on Friday, September 3.
They will follow that up with a Matchday two trip to the island of Mindelo to do justice to the senior men’s national football team of Cape Verde on Tuesday, September 7. The kickoff time is the same at 5.00pm local time.
The other Group C competition is the Central African Republic (CAR). The double header fixture against the CAR is scheduled for the next international break on October 9, when Nigeria hosts Les Fauves, and October 12, when the Super Eagles will travel to the CAR.
Here is the full team sheet for September fixtures:
Goalkeepers
Francis Uzoho (APOEL Nicosia, Cyprus); Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
Defenders
Chidozie Awaziem (FC Boavista, Portugal); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Abdullahi Shehu (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Kevin Akpoguma (TSG Hoffenheim, Germany)
Midfielders
Oghenekaro Etebo (Watford FC, England); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Galsgow Rangers, Scotland)
Forwards
Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Samuel Kalu (FC Bordeaux, France); Victor Osimhen (Napoli FC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Paul Onuachu (KRC Genk, Belgium)
SEVEN OTHERS
Terem Moffi (FC Lorient, France); Henry Onyekuru (Olympiacos FC, Greece); Chidera Ejuke (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Innocent Bonke (Malmo FF, Sweden); Valentine Ozornwafor (Sporting Charleroi, Belgium); Tyronne Ebuehi (Venezia FC, Italy); Kingsley Michael (Bologna FC, Italy)
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
