Osimhen, Dennis, 26 make Super Eagles cut for AFCON 2021

The Interim Coach of the Super Eagles, Austin Eguavoen has called up Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, Watford’s Emmanuel Dennis, Taiwo Awoniyi of German Bundesliga side, Union Berlin, and 25 other players for next month’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Eguavoen, the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) Technical Director who replaced sacked Franco-German Coach, Gernot Rohr on a temporary basis, announced the 28-man squad for the Cameroon tournament on Christmas Day.

The list which was released to the media by the Communications Department of the NFF, also has returnee Jude Odion Ighalo, Kelechi Nwakali, Sadiq Umar, Olisah Ndah of Orlando Pirates of South Africa, as well as the regular suspects that Rohr had often relied on to prosecute the Eagles’ matches.

Notable names who made the list are William Troost-Ekong, Leon Balogun, Kelechi Iheanacho, Wilfred Ndidi, Ola Aina, Samuel Chukwueze, Daniel Akpeyi, Maduka Okoye and Francis Uzoho.

Also listed are Zaidu Sanusi, Jamilu Collins, Kenneth Omeruo, Ahmed Musa, Chidera Ejuke, Joe Aribo, Alex Iwobi and Chidozie Awaziem.

The Cameroon showpiece is billed to take place between 9 January and 6 February.

The Eagles are in Group D with Egypt, Guinea-Bissau and Sudan, and will open their campaign against the Pharaohs on January 11.

The Full Squad

Goalkeepers:

Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); John Noble (Enyimba FC); Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands)

Also Read: AFCON 2022: Seven strikers that can replace Osimhen in Super Eagles lineup

Defenders:

Chidozie Awaziem (Alanyaspor FC, Turkey); 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); Olisa Ndah (Orlando Pirates, South Africa)

Midfielders:

Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Galsgow Rangers, Scotland); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Chidera Ejuke (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Kelechi Nwakali (SD Huesca, Spain)

Forwards:

Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Victor Osimhen (Napoli FC, Italy); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Sadiq Umar (UD Almeria, Spain); Taiwo Awoniyi (Union Berlin, Germany); Odion Jude Ighalo (Al-Shabab Riyadh, Saudi Arabia); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Emmanuel Dennis (Watford FC, England)