Head Coach Augustine Eguavoen has called Captain William Ekong, rave-of-the-moment Ademola Lookman, in-form winger Moses Simon and 20 other players for this month’s home-and-away 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying battle with the Mediterranean Knights of Libya.
Wing-backs Olaoluwa Aina and Bruno Onyemaechi are included, as well as goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali and Maduka Okoya, defenders Oluwasemilogo Ajayi and Calvin Bassey, midfielders Wilfred Ndidi, Raphael Onyedika and Alex Iwobi, and forwards Taiwo Awoniyi, Victor Boniface and Samuel Chukwueze.
Reigning Africa Player of the Year Victor Osimhen is excluded on grounds of injury, just as South Africa-based centre-back Olisa Ndah, but defender Bright Osayi-Samuel makes his way back after missing the duels with Benin Republic and Rwanda last month, and in-form playmaker Chidera Ejuke returns to the fold after many moons.
Veteran forward Kelechi Iheanacho is also listed, as well as midfielders Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi and Frank Onyeka.
The Super Eagles will host the Mediterranean Knights at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Friday, 11th October, before flying to Benghazi to take on the Knights at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium, 19 kilometres away from Benghazi on Tuesday, 15th October.
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All the players are expected to report in Uyo on Monday, 7th October.
FULL SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Amas Obasogie (Fasil Kenema SC, Ethiopia)
Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood FC, Saudi Arabia); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce SK, Turkey); Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Benjamin Tanimu (Crawley Town, England)
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); Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla FC, Spain); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Sevilla FC, Spain); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest, England)
60 Comments
Nobody beats Eguavoen with team selection. Always apt. Send him to understudy Guardiola for 2 months and voila.
Kelechi Iheanacho doesn’t deserve a call-up for now because present from at his club Sevilla.
I agree with you @sammy
For kelechi to be in the team simply means eguavoen have not been watching this boys play, if he watch them and still invite him, means something is wrong somewhere.
I bet Kelechi could have missed out if Osimhen had been in. If he doesn’t pick up form, he’s going to be on the fringes.
In the absence of VO9, who carries the goalscoring responsibility? Lookman is doing his part as a supporting striker, but this is a huge test for Boniface. he cannot afford to play 180 minutes without a goal or 2. Eguavoebn should tweak his formation to suit him better. Watch what Alonso does differently.
Again, this shows that Eguavoen does not really rate the other regular alternatives to VO9 — Dessers, Onuachu etc.
I agree with you in as much as I like Kelechi. Local coaches are like this that is why I have issues with them!!!
gerrout! idiot, triblastics mumu lmaao
Kelechi, chuckueze and awoniyi shd not have made the list under any circumstances for now, this trio have lost form drastically, desser, maja and the new guy in Belgium , arokodade would have make a better option. Anyways still a better selection.
I agree, especially Kelechi and Awoniyi should not be in the team, because of poor form and lack of game times in their clubs. I prefer Terem Moffi, Dessers, Arokodade and the young and fitter striker from Monaco in Ligue1 should have been better options.
You do know that Moffi is out with a long-term injury. For you to mention him shows you are not current at all.
Does Tanimu deserve to be called ahead of other central defenders. The likes of Osho, the genk defender, akpoguma should be ahead of this guy in my opinion.
Akpoguma must have offended someone in the glass house.. why the continued absence from the team.. taminu in league 2 always called in place of a bungesliga starter..
Super eagles always struggle each time osihmen doesn’t play and I hope Boniface can leave up to expectations this Time
Benjamin Taminu has not been active for his league one team in England,can’t understand why he was picked when the likes of Akpoguma who plays regularly in the bundesliga was overlooked.Only Eguavoen can explain his reasons for leaving one of our most improved player in Europe’s top five league..In my opinion the team selection could be better with a couple of additions.
Greenturf,
If you ask me, with limited time to prepare the players for the fixtures, I see some wisdom in retaining the balk of the last squad regardless.
The likes of Tanimu, Awoniyi, and Iheanacho better become more active or buckle up in club football otherwise their positions will be in jeopardy in future.
Not to put too fine a point on it but Awoniyi and Iheanacho particularly have to rediscover their finishing instincts. I hope we haven’t given up on Joe Aribo yet as he has a lot still to offer.
It’s a winning squad to me.
Ejuke has a chance to prove he is a team player as selfishness blighted his output the last time round.
Good luck to the Super Eagles!
I understand your point @deo,however,in international football as we know,top football countries even with limited time drop a few players to refresh the squad.
Affected players are ones struggling or not giving the gaffer any reason to be part of the squad.
Just like you rightly mentioned,the likes of Awoniyi and Iheanacho are misfiring and shouldn’t be part of the set-up.
Leaving three players won’t affect the teams cohesion because they have a core of the team.
England,Brazil,Germany and other nations alike wouldn’t invite you if you aren’t in form,we should emulate these countries to take our football to the next level.
After all we have numerous players in Europe who also fancy their chances,we should be fair to them..
Nigeria problems are multi dimensional in nature,it seems the same problem our government is giving us has degenerated to football circle,in fact,I don’t see rationale behind Kelechi and Awoniyi invites because on current form they are obviously off while other good strikers are being neglected for fear sake. The likes of England, Spain, France etc wouldn’t do such. Some Indigenous Coaches lack innovative in ideas. I trust Siasia and late Keshi they would invite new players in such situation. Eguaveon needs refresher course so as to update his knowledge in modern day football tactics and technical expertise respectively
Try and understand. Tanimu and Alhasan Yusuf are there because the NFF president wanted Northern representation.
The duo are not supposed to come close to being invited at this time considering the quality of players at the coach’s disposal.
Imagine leaving out the likes of Akpoguma and Ehizibue and inviting someone who plays for a team in the English 3rd tier league, and also inviting someone like Yusuf when we already have Ndidi, Raphael and Onyedika who plays same position as Yususf. If we needed more midfielders, we still have the likes of Uche in Getafe, Aribo and Nathan Tella.
It is quite unfortunate that Nigeria is not ready for excellence.
Nigeria we hail thee!
This is why a Nigerian as a coach is always sentlemental in decision making. Awoniye, and senior man (Kele) are not inform right now.
This team list is not the best for nigeria. This coach needs to live his comfort zone and take a bold step in invitating of players to National team. I rest my case.
Very terrible list I feel gutted about the fact that we not encouraging competition and rewarding players deserving players. The team will not improve if we accept this philosophy!!!
What exactly are the criteria for selecting players to the national team? It seems that once a player is “in the group” and has the backing of some influential figure, they can consistently get an invite without necessarily performing. How do we justify the inclusion of Chukwueze, Awoniyi, or even Tanimu? These players have been struggling in their respective clubs and haven’t impressed in their recent outings for the Super Eagles either. Where is the place of merit in all this?
We expect a coach to bring freshness to the team and create genuine competition by ensuring that only players who are active and in form at their clubs get called up. This raises a valid question: why are players like Kevin Akpoguma, Josh Maja, Arokodare, and even Joe Aribo not being considered? Awoniyi has been largely ineffective at Nottingham Forest, Tanimu hasn’t even played a single game for his new club, and Iheanacho is only just finding his feet at Sevilla.
Why persist with players who are off-form or inactive when there are better, more deserving alternatives? These questionable selections raise doubts about whether the Super Eagles are still a merit-based team or just a platform where favoritism prevails over genuine talent.
@Papafem… thank you and good talk!
Papafem: your write-up is exceptionally written and on point. The same favouritism based on tribe, religion, nepotism and corruption which have shunted our nation development are creeping into our once proud national team the (Super eagles). When will Nigeria do things on merit?
Get Egunje Eguadioal Eguaveon far away from Super Eagles… you demoralize other players doing well when you don’t call them up. Chukwueze, Iheanacho, Tanimu and Awoniyi should not be close to this team at this moment… I will still advocate for a foreign coach just only for fairness to all players and objectivity… Eguaveon hates foreign borns. Akpom, Akor have to be given their chances…
No homebased players….? LMAOoo.
Eguavoen doesn’t believe in Homebased players…?
As the adage goes, ọmọ olomo laa rán nise de toru toru….. another man’s children are often the best for midnight errands.
Whn other coaches are in charge of the SE, Eguavoen and the rest of his 94 cult members will not let them rest with their continual deafening clamor for homebased players….to give them confidence, to improve the local league, to do this, to do that.
But bam, once Eguavoen gets the job….all that homebased nonsense goes out through the windows of the team bus…..LMAOoo.
If I didn’t know better I would say Eguavoen is clearly desperate to keep this job….LMAOoo
Where are the 4 homebased players Finidi was forced to invite…? Have they stopped being good enough for the SE all of a sudden….?
It Libya for hell’s sake….we should be having at least 4 homebased players in that squad….LMAOoo.
But on a serious note, pls what is a League 1 bench warmer doing in our SE list….even as back up…? We have Torunarigha, Akpoguma, Osho all balling week in week out either in the local leagues or in European Competitions. A certain Ibrahim Buhari even featured for Elfsborg vs AS Roma in the Europa league last Thursday if Eguavoen and his technical committee member of crooks insist on reducing the quota of foreign born players in the SE
What is so special about this Tanimu boy. He must definitely have very strong Godfathers in the glasses house.
Let me hold my peace before enablers of corruption will accuse me of inferiority complex.
@Dr.Drey… I did not even see the whole thing from your eagle-eye perspective… Lol. Where are all the talented homebased? Hahaha… when a man tells another to wear undersized shoes that it fits… hahaha, flip it on him and he will reject instantly. I want Eguaveon sacked from his role as Technical Director and equally cast far away from Super Eagles… Chuba Akpom, Adams Akor have been decent in the last two seasons and for the case of Akpom it goes back last three seasons… inviting spentforces who don’t even kick at their clubs. I used to like Awoniyi a lot previously but I think now he is just overhyped with too many injury woes… when a player begins to pick too many injuries, ask what his personal lifestyles are!
All these arm Chair coaches, you guys think you know best, always second guessing the coaches especially the Nigerian coaches. Talk is cheap when you are second guessing. There are many reasons players are not used in their various clubs which many of you do not know. There are players that do not play regularly for their clubs but become so potent and reliable when they play for the national team. All you see is the player not on the field.
Abeg tell them o, they come here ranting. Boniface will do well with club and come to Nigeria and be doing rubbish.
All these arm Chair coaches, you guys think you know best, always second guessing the coaches especially the Nigerian coaches. Talk is cheap when you are second guessing. There are many reasons players are not used in their various clubs which many of you do not know. There are players that do not play regularly for their clubs but become so potent and reliable when they play for the national team. All you see is the player not on the field. There is an Urhobo proverb that says the food that the whole town is going to eat, who can cook it, that it would satisfy everyone. NOBODY.
So I guess that explains the invitation of Tanimu Who isn’t even making the lineups of his league 1 (english 3rd division) team over players playing regularly even in the Europa league…LMAOoo
Iheanacho, Tanimu and Awoniyi should never have been invited to play. l can’t understand why Eguavoen should take unnecessary risk at this time. Hope it work out well for the Nation.
Most of you guy will be surprised that we the fans, watch these 9ja players in their various club matches than these lazy indigenous coaches watch them. Eguaveon probably only relies on newspapers report on these players to include them in the team.
How else can you explain the inclusion of Taminu, who has not tasted any action in league 1 (England Division 3) ahead of Osho, Akpoguna, Balogun, Caleb Okoli, Ehibuzie etc.?
I watched the 2 matches Iheanacho started for Sevilla and he was nothing but just a passenger on the pitch for the time he lasted but here is him being picked ahead of Dessers, Chuba Akpom, Arokodare, Omorodion (New Osimhen), Maja etc. Awoniyi has largely being ineffective too this season for club and country but keeps getting invitation
Chukwueze has lost form and its obvious to even my 8 yrs old son but a whole National Team coach cannot see that but kept inviting him all the time at the expense of Tella and Uche Chrisantus
Ilenikhena is one prospect we should use these AFCON Qualifiers to Cap tie by giving him 2 mins game time on 3 occasions, same with Omoriodon but our clueless Ogunefon might never have heard of them at all
Shall we continue to watch this NFF guys to continue killing the dreams of these special Talents we have currently by their reluctance to give us a Tactical Foreign coach who can blend these abundant talents into a cohesive team that will be a menace to any Team in Africa and beyond
Forget Omorodion, he’s a Spaniard. He won’t even honor NFF’s invitation. With regards to Eguavoen, I think he may leave after this round. Libya means business.
Eguavoen has not surprised me with this list again.
For me, I know what to expect based on Eguavoen’s last team performance.
We should be expecting two things that may cost Eguavoen and his team dearly if he does not change for good. Having a “plan A” for any qualifier is never enough, and if Eguavoen repeats the same tactics he used in our last two matches, he will be disgraced, while the second one is the kind of unfit players he intentionally invented.
Based on our last two matches, hmm. The Super Eagles will struggle to score goals under Eguavoen, except if our wingers rise to the occasion.
Eguavoen is not honest with himself about this list. He can not stay long with the way is handling the invitation of the Super Eagles players.
Oshimen is injured now, and the best player to replace him is Dessers. Dessers and Oshimen have almost the same aggression when they are contesting for the ball, and they know when to help the defenders.
I think I’m still making sense, ba? If so, Kolawole is good on air like Oshimen. He uses both feet. He’s helping the defenders when needed just like Oshimen.
CSN, please stop this copy-and-paste news. We need to know why Dessers Kolawole has not been invited this time around. Has he not played regularly? Is he not a Nigerian like other players?
Why are Taiwo and Nacho being invited instead of Dessers and other inform players? These are the questions CSN should please help us ask Eguavoen.
Is Dessers new to the team? How many has he played for Nigeria to justify his exclusion? Nacho and Ayoniyi, who are not informed, are getting called up to the Super Eagles camp. Something is fishy here kę.
Boniface has never proven his worth in the green, white, green colour, likewise Ayoniyi. Nacho and Ayoniyi are not informed at the moment and Eguavoen will pay dearly if he counts on Boniface, Ayoniyi and Nacho.
We have to be honest with ourselves. Eguavoen will fail Nigerians when it matters most.
I am not campaigning for Eguavoen if anything goes wrong but Siasia. I can count on Siasia any day, any time, but as usual, NFF will not hire a coach that they can not control. Yes, I still believe in our own, but not in Eguavoen.
We have over-informed strikers there who can blend with the team quickly, and nobody can tell Dessers is not part of the team.
I still do not understand Nigerians at this moment. We are the source of our problems and why are we disturbing God?
99% of us have asked for EMILOKAN, who brought Buhari to power, and every Nigerian is struggling. Same thing with the Super Eagles. NFF has claimed they don’t have money but where are the monies they collected from CAF? Let’s assume NFF has no money to hire a foreign coach, which, to me, is a scam.
I don’t believe in colour, but I believe so much in your capability idea you are white, black or brown. Eguavoen shouldn’t have been appointed to handle this team in the first place. Now that Sia1 is available, why Eguavoen can’t suggest Siasia to Nigerians? Indeed, Nigerians are the major problem of Nigeria as a country.
Nobody can tell me what I know about Eguavoen. I love this man called Eguavoen; I even named him “Mr. No Nonsense” back then, but just like I did for Oga Rohr, Eguavoen has tarnished his image and has continued proving that with this list.
As a Nigerian, I wish the Super Eagles all the best, but I don’t expect much from Eguavoen now and in the long run.
NFF should consider Siasia to be the next coach of the Super Eagles period. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
Did you watch desser before,he will not offer anything to eagles,so stop saying invite this invite that, only Ejuke deserves new call up, others still need more time to improve
….and can anyone notice the sort of secrecy that pervades SE invitation lists since Eguavoen became TD…?
It’s completely ridiculous that this current list was only made public the day before camp opened.
Eguavoen would be more useful to Nigeria working with DSS rather than the NFF
When Finidi cried that some players are being backed by some board memebers, una no talk, na now una dey cry certain players don’t deserve to be in the team. Elegbete said it right, the current squad is nothing to write about, even with a foreign coach.
I don’t see anything wrong with the list.
Gbam! You don talk am finish.
sharap dere! useless ewu! battyman lmaao!
@Mikee, let’s be honest: if the Super Eagles were held to the same standards as England’s national team, half the players on the list wouldn’t even make it past the first cut! In England, there’s an unspoken rule—if you’re not playing in the Premier League or a top European league, forget about it. Even within those leagues, you’ve got to be actively performing at your club, or you’ll be watching from home like the rest of us.
Now, imagine that kind of system in Nigeria. Do you really think we’d see some of the names that keep popping up in every squad list? Not a chance. The Super Eagles would look completely different, but here we are, acting like we have the luxury of ignoring merit. Is Nigeria suddenly better than England? Do we have special footballing powers that let us invite players regardless of their form? The truth is, some players have been cruising on vibes and connections, not on their performances.
Take Ahmed Musa, Shehu Abdullahi, and Francis Uzoho, for example. Let’s be real—these guys overstayed their welcome before the invites stopped coming for them. It got to the point where it felt like they had season tickets to the national team, no matter how inactive or underwhelming their club form was. And let’s not act like it wasn’t obvious some players were paying their way to stay in the squad. If you weren’t performing but somehow still got called up, it wasn’t because of your on-field magic, let’s just put it that way.
Look at the 2014 World Cup squad. Before the tournament, some of those names were unfamiliar to most fans, but they were selected over seasoned pros like Obafemi Martins, Ikechukwu Uche, and Chinedu Ogbuke. Was that based on merit? Please. It was as if some players had secret VIP passes to the national team, while those actually delivering on the pitch were left out.
And then this Eguaveon. Let’s not pretend his 2021 AFCON provisional list was perfect. The man admitted he didn’t know Cyriel Dessers, one of our hottest strikers in Europe at the time. But somehow, he found space for an unattached Ogenyi Onazi, who hadn’t even kicked a ball in a competitive match for ages. Whem faced with serious public backlash, Baba quickly said Onazi’s inclusion was due to “pressure from the top.” LOL…Now, if that doesn’t tell you all you need to know about the broken system of player selection in Nigeria, then I don’t know what will.
This isn’t just about who gets to wear the Super Eagles jersey; it’s about integrity. The imbalance in the team selection doesn’t just hurt our chances on the field—it breaks the spirit of competition and unity in the squad. Players who deserve a call-up are ignored, while those with the right connections keep getting opportunities. And we keep talking about cracks and division in the team. Like Lord Denin once asked, “Can you place something on nothing and expect it stand?” Upon what exactly is the team’s unity built?
Let’s be real—this is far from the best squad Nigeria could assemble now, and Eguaveon, deep down, knows it too.
@Mikee, let’s be honest: if the Super Eagles were held to the same standards as England’s national team, half the players on the list wouldn’t even make it past the first cut! In England, there’s an unspoken rule—if you’re not playing in the Premier League or a top European league, forget about it. Even within those leagues, you’ve got to be actively performing at your club, or you’ll be watching from home like the rest of us.
Now, imagine that kind of system in Nigeria. Do you really think we’d see some of the names that keep popping up in every squad list? Not a chance. The Super Eagles would look completely different, but here we are, acting like we have the luxury of ignoring merit. Is Nigeria suddenly better than England? Do we have special footballing powers that let us invite players regardless of their form? The truth is, some players have been cruising on vibes and connections, not on their performances.
Take Ahmed Musa, Shehu Abdullahi, and Francis Uzoho, for example. Let’s be real—these guys overstayed their welcome before the invites stopped coming for them. It got to the point where it felt like they had season tickets to the national team, no matter how inactive or underwhelming their club form was. And let’s not act like it wasn’t obvious some players were paying their way to stay in the squad. If you weren’t performing but somehow still got called up, it wasn’t because of your on-field magic, let’s just put it that way.
Look at the 2014 World Cup squad. Before the tournament, some of those names were unfamiliar to most fans, but they were selected over seasoned pros like Obafemi Martins, Ikechukwu Uche, and Chinedu Ogbuke. Was that based on merit? Please. It was as if some players had secret VIP passes to the national team, while those actually delivering on the pitch were left out.
And then this Eguaveon. Let’s not pretend his 2021 AFCON provisional list was perfect. The man admitted he didn’t know Cyriel Dessers, one of our hottest strikers in Europe at the time. But somehow, he found space for an unattached Ogenyi Onazi, who hadn’t even kicked a ball in a competitive match for ages. Whem faced with serious public backlash, Baba quickly said Onazi’s inclusion was due to “pressure from the top.” LOL…Now, if that doesn’t tell you all you need to know about the broken system of player selection in Nigeria, then I don’t know what will.
This isn’t just about who gets to wear the Super Eagles jersey; it’s about integrity. The imbalance in the team selection doesn’t just hurt our chances on the field—it breaks the spirit of competition and unity in the squad. Players who deserve a call-up are ignored, while those with the right connections keep getting opportunities. And we keep talking about cracks and division in the team. Like Lord Denin once asked, “Can you place something on nothing and expect it stand?” Upon what exactly is the team’s unity built?
Let’s be real—this is far from the best squad Nigeria could assemble now, and Eguaveon, deep down, knows it too. Anyways, I wish him all the best.
…all of a sudden, Eguaveon handles two games against minnows amassing 4points all players start clamouring for him to be given the job that he is better than any foreign coach. Most of such players are deadweights at their clubs who don’t want a new coach that will come and instill discipline while allowing all players a level playing field based on merit alone. CHUKWUEZE,IHEANACHO, AWONIYI & TANIMU… OOOOOUT!!! Eguaveon is a fraud…
Coach Eguaveon side actually defeated a team handled by a foreign Coach, Rohr. That game ended 3:zero in favour of Eguaveon. What are your thoughts?
The current SE selection criteria is shrouded in mystery. Looks like some players have a lifetime SE invitation ticket that never expires, whether they are in form or not.
It makes you wonder why we expect other players to push themselves harder and try to improve. What is the point? Who is watching, taking note of their progress? Only the fans care enough. The nitwits at the NFF are certainly not doing this. They don’t give a damn.
What is the point of hard work, when invitation to SE is the exclusive preserve of a “privileged few”?
Even if Akpom for example scores a 100 goals this season, he no go smell invitation to SE. Na the same tired old faces we go dey see!
So Tella has now become anathema, a total no go area? Orban, Akpom, Chrisantus Uche the Getafe box to box midfielder who is highly regarded in Spain? Kingsley Ehizibue nko?
These and several other players out there, who is watching these players? Who is monitoring them?
If Orban switches allegiance to Togo now, they will say he’s unpatriotic. Let him go where he’s needed, since we don’t need him.
I like Ejukes recall but what is a division 3 player doing on the list at the expense of others who are playing regularly at the top level?? Anyway the entire list looks ok except for some discrepancies. Let’s see how they turn up against Libya. Ire O.
Lmao!! JimmyBall and Omo9ja why una they harass una own???? Lemaooo!!!! Make una let una own breathe OOO!! Lemaooo!!!
_ What Do The Invited Players Offer?_
I will try and not get dragged into the debate of the merit or lack thereof of the players invited to prosecute double-header October’s Afcon qualifiers against Libya.
The list is out and Eguavoen has to mastermind minimum 4 points from the encountered – full stop. Anything less will be unacceptable.
I take a look at all the invited players to see what they bring to the table.
Stanley Nwabali: The clean sheets are back again after Eguavoen reverted to 3-4-3 formation. With Okoye breathing down his neck, he will want to continue being solid in-between the sticks. He offers credibility and assurance with his starting position, interceptions and distribution which should be on full display again.
Maduka Okoye: Nothing beats having a top quality goalkeeper as number 2. He appears hungry and eager to reclaim his number one slot. The formation should also afford him ample protection should he taste any action. He brings determination and the league he plays adds a layer of quality to the Super Eagles. His reflexes and interceptions technique appear to have massively improved.
Amas Obasogie: Highly rated Amas is unlikely to don his gloves but if he does, fans will be eager to see what he what he brings. He has the properties of an “unknown quantity” in international football which can be beneficial. He is known as a shot stopper with decent parrying skills.
William Ekong: Barring unforeseen circumstances, he should retain his starting 11 slot. His leadership skills, all-round maturity and ability to read the game will be crucial to the success in these games. The timing of his interceptions is aging well.
Bright Osayi-Samuel: It remains to be seen whether he can bench Aina but one should expect him to at least make substitute appearance. His knack of being fouled in dangerous opposition areas following mazy overlapping runs with compelling take-ons is a boon. Fans are happy to see him back in the fold.
Bruno Onyemaechi: A revelation, his business-like attitude has endeared him to fans. Deserving of his place, he will be expected to generate attacking opportunities with overlapping runs and compelling crosses.
Oluwasemilogo Ajayi: Someway somehow, he has cemented himself in the starting 11. Aerial prowess offensively and defensively is his stock-in-trade. His contributions in set-piece routines always come in handy.
Calvin Bassey: With 3 at the back, his level of concentration improves. His delightful long balls and decent tackles are valuable assets.
Olaoluwa Aina: A firm fan-favourite, his take-on abilities, overlapping runs and delightful deliveries are notches to his belt. His inputs will be key to success.
Benjamin Tanimu: It’s hard to see him taste any action. If so, his tenacity, engine, versatility, willingness to do the dirty work are noticeable. Always feeling he has to prove himself, accepting him as a bona-fide Super Eagle will have to be “acquired-taste” for a vast majority of fans.
Wilfred Ndidi: Playing a more offensive role in club football has helped his sharpen his creativity and passing range. Being a senior member of the squad with vast experience endows him with quality which adds solidity to the midfield.
Raphael Onyedika: A straight fight for starting 11 slot between him and Dele-Bashiru. His more polished and balanced defensive and offensive presentation gives him an edge.
Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi: Seen as lightweight by some but his ability to take flight with the ball is undeniable. Doubtful he will see action.
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru: A firm fan-favourite, he is a remarkable and incredible attacking midfielder. Traversing with the ball into the line of fire to take aim at goal will trouble the opposition; a real star player.
Frank Onyeka: What a player! Hard as nails; no-nonsense; rock solid; always nipping at the heels of opposition. Not the classiest but one of the bravest.
Alex Iwobi: Cute passes and decent movements that keep the midfield ticking along and creating decent openings upfront. His starting-11 slot is increasingly feeling fragile with emergence of others, who offer different dimensions in midfield,
Samuel Chukwueze: The dribbling abilities are still there though not as always effective. On his day he still causes problems to oppositions with darting runs, decent passes and delicate touches here and there. I actually still rate him highly as a Super Eagle; I can’t say the same for others though.
Chidera Ejuke: Back in the team to stake a claim. Selfishness and aimless dribbles were his blight previously. So long as he can demonstrate high football IQ, his pace, power and probing abilities tinged with purposeful dribbles and timely passes could elevate his presentation to the stratosphere of greatness.
Ademola Lookman: What can I say that hasn’t already been said? He oozes with confidence and finesse as his movements and contact with the ball generate boost and bounce all-round. He will arrest your attention and keep it delightfully incarcerated for the duration with his precision in front of goal and all round eloquence in application; world class!
Kelechi Iheanacho: A top quality centre forward who is slowly working his way back to full fitness. His work-rate has drastically diminished but his vision, quality and decent football IQ remain intact. You never really know which Iheanacho (effective or useless) will turn up.
Victor Boniface: Yet to hit the sweet spot in Super Eagles colours but not for the want of trying. Always getting into promising position, his exceptional technique on the ball, keen eye for goal and bruising style should yield profit in Super Eagles colours soon enough.
Moses Simon: His dribbles and take-on abilities are top notch. Now a senior member of the team, his neat deliveries and fluid movements are deadly arrows in his quiver. Another player that generates lift and excitement, his input will be colossal offensively and defensively.
Taiwo Awoniyi: Kind of hard to see what he brings to the table however he has been known to execute decent tap-ins when put on the plate for him.
As long as Eguavoen is the coach,
1. Iwobi will never get regular shirt. He’ll either be substituted or come in as a substitute and as a winger.
2. Dessers will not smell Super Eagles
3. Akpoguma will not receive any call up.
These 3 cases happened during nations cup tournament under this same Eguavoen forcing Iwobi to come in and received red card and some how, they are happening again.
Tunisia won us without their regulars and guess what? Libyans are coming without their regulars due to injuries. Hope this won’t be a case of ‘Dejavou’?
It’s Only in Nigeria that active
Gabriel Osho
Jordan Torunarigha
Ogbu even without injury will be ignored for Benjamin Tanimu.
Sometimes I used to thank God for the life of Bukayo Saka, he was detected the time Musa was still very much around. How are we sure he won’t be too small or too young to pick super Eagles shirt back then in the eyes of our handlers?
Samuel Kalu was picked to replace Victor Moses but the later is still playing regularly for Luton while kalu is already on his way to retirement.
10 years ago in 2014, Leon Balogun played in the build up to the World Cup and got injured . Forward to 2024, he’s still very much active with Victor Moses and May be Omeruo while the remaining 21 players are no where to be found.
Tanimu is 21-22 today, I really want to see where he plays in the next 10 years. I pray he won’t end up like Ejuke Uzoenyi, Oshaniwa , Mba , Papa Idris and others.
You forgot to add No 4 to your list of things that will never happen while Eguavoen is coach.
4. Home-based players will never come near the SE…..LMAOoo.
Mr TD NEVER deceives himself. He knows consciously and subconsciously that the best Nigerian footballers are outside the country, and hence is not ready to risk this opportunity to audition for a job he is so desperate to keep.
With CHAN qualifiers in 2 weeks or so and no standing home-based team, playing Libya [Mostly dominated by Al Ahli Tripoli and Al Ittihad Tripoli players], one would expect at least 7-8 of the ‘many talents in the local league’ [whom Eguavoen’s teammates say are good enough for the SE] would be called up so that Ilechukwu and Ogunmodede and start infusing some footballing lessons in them ahead of the commencement of their exclusive CHAN camp.
But No, Eguavoen would rather fly in a 3rd choice Gk from the ETHIOPIAN LEAGUE and a Tanimu who isn’t getting game time in the 3rd division in England and is guaranteed not to see 1 minute over both legs against Libya unless something disastrous really happens to our defenders…..LMAOooo
saen abi wetin? you sure say you well at all? wen pipo tells yuh pipos make una stop dey smoke igbo and other drugs, una nor go gree hmm
a kolo pesin like you have no bizzness to spoke about footbal because you knows nothing at all about it – you should stop watch footbal and stop support SE nigreains or took up cricket and support those guys.
nonsense, comeing hear making noises about desserts and iwobi and akpoguma, iwobi wey nor sabi ball and desser wey be akpere lmaoo, tank God say nor be yeye pesin like yuh dey select dey team, biko go and sleep! kwasia,
fullish nigreains nor no wetin good for dere team the super chickens lol
Nawa o! I thought CSN is only for sensible people.
This one that a mad person that took phone from people using Cutlass and find himself in CSN chat room nko?
Are you sure your parent used to be Happy whenever they set their eyes on you?
Sean this is Selfmade the Ghanaian trouble maker disguising himself to create confusion and agenda for his master. He can type proper English but just using this broken English to camouflage. Las las e go tire if person ignore am to rot in his graveyard of boredom.
What happened to Cyriel Dessers, Chuba Akpom and other inform players. With some out of form names in the list we are not encouraging our players to pick form. Not at all.
One of the reasons why I will never support the idea of a local coach is because we simply do not do things on merit but rather on sentimental grounds. Even those criticising Eguavoen apply similar sentiments in the discharge of their civic responsibility. That is just how we roll but white people do not operate like that, for them it is all about merit.
I do not think that the coach picked the likes of Tanimu but strong interest from the higher echelon within the NFF forced his hand. Who remembers Osimhen’s rant? He said something that went over people’s head. He said he has no God Father in the NFF; that is a strong statement coming from a player who has an understanding of the inner intricate web of corruption within the glass House. That is the Nigerian way, you see it in our politics, you see it in secular work, you see it in religious circles. A good number of some fans will do same if put in those position and this is why an African team may never win the world Cup because we do not believe in meritocracy.
The day when everyone (fans included) begin to uphold truth , that is the day we will begin to experience real progress and excellence. Till then, we will continue to wallow in mediocrity.
This is true. The system is based on corruption. No good leadership. NFF interfere in players selection. Nigeria we hail thee.
mind dem backside bobriskosenikan lmaao – how market? how yur yash? i hope say you dey check youreself wella in case of s*t*d pmsl
nna yuh supose be south african with this youre yeye batty bizzness kwasia!
By their bench, you shall know them.
The quality of a squad is seen in the quality of the players on the bench.
This is the difference between teams like Man City and Brentford, for example. Man City have multiple players that can perform in the same position. For instance, on the right wing, they have Foden and Savio, a nice selection headache for Pep. On the left wing, it’s Doku and Grealish. They have multiple options in all positions on the pitch. That’s a strong squad.
If anything happens to Mbeumo, Brentford are in trouble. Wissa is out, Toney has been sold, and they don’t have the squad depth to cover Mbeumo’s absence. That’s why Brentford is at best a mid-table club.
Take a look at this list submitted by Eguavoen. You see a starting eleven that’s ok, but what about the bench?
In the goalie and midfield departments, we have substitutes who are as good as the starters. But the same can not be said of the attack and the defense. That makes us vulnerable!
For the squad list to be ok, we need the substitutes in all areas of the pitch to be as good as the starters. Then and only then can we begin to believe that we have a formidable team. This is the job entrusted to Eguavoen and the so called Technical Department of NFF. What have they been doing all this time? How come we don’t have the kind of squad we should have, given the number of players we have playing in top leagues all over the globe?
Well, in as much as I don’t have much to talk as concerning this super eagles under GUSAU, i really want those that understands football better than me to explain what is that special thing NFF, GUSAU and ENOH OWAN prodigy and world best defender TANIMU has over GABRIEL OSHO, TORUNARIGHA, AKPOGUMA…..
It’s like these guys knows TANIMU better than us hence their continual invitation of TANIMU to the super eagles even when he was in TANZANIA….. imagine…. TANZANIAN league…. hahahahaha.
SECONDLY, is Cyril Dessers no longer a Nigerian player???
What offense has he committed that home based coaches keep ignoring him????
Uche in getafe (la Liga) and Yusuf in USA league, who should be invited????
This is one of the reason(s) some of us hate home based coaches handling the super eagles….. all this funny invitation…..
Even blind bathimaeus knows that this list is influenced by some top men in upper egellum…..
é pélé
This ya e pélé comment is the shortest.
Yesterday I took my time to watch the so called most inform striker desser of Rangers, anyone that wants that kind of striker in super eagles is a wicked person, the guy will never add anything to super eagles,if he likes let him score hundred goals I will prefer Tanimu defender to play striker than him, every day invite this invite that,if desser wants let him be playing everyday a bench wormer is better than desser , now I understand why some coaches are not rushing to invite players, for now only Ejuke deserves invitation among the new players, others will not offer much for now