The Super Eagles‘ 25-man squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire have been unveiled, Completesports.com reports.
The squad was posted on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) X handle on Friday, 29 December 2023.
Head coach, Jose Peseiro, listed three goalkeepers, nine defenders, five midfielders and eight forwards.
South Africa-based Stanley Nwabali and NPFL star Olorunleke Ojo, Bruno Onyemaechi and Bright Osayi-Samuel made the cut.
Also Read: ‘It’s Not Fair’ — Okocha Unhappy With AFCON Tournament Timing
Notable names on the list are Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Iheanacho, Alex Iwobi, William Troost-Ekong, Ahmed Musa, Victor Boniface, Moses Simon and Samuel Chukwueze.
Also included are Wilfred Ndidi, Ola Aina, Semi Ajayi, Francis Uzoho, Zaidu Sanusi, Calvin Bassey, Kenneth Omeruo, Ademola Lookman, Umar Sadiq among others.
The Eagles will fly to United Arab Emirates for camping before heading to Côte d’Ivoire for next year’s tournament.
The three-time AFCON winners will face hosts Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau and Equatorial Guinea.
Also, the Eagles will begin their quest for a fourth title against Equatorial Guinea in their Group A opener.
Super Eagles’ 25-man squad for AFCON 2023:
Goalkeepers:
Stanley Nwabali
Francis Uzoho
Olorunleke Ojo
Defenders:
William Troost-Ekong
Bright Osayi-Samuel
Ola Aina
Zaidu Sanusi
Bruno Onyemaechi
Semi Ajayi
Calvin Bassey
Chidozie Awaziem
Kenneth Omeruo
Midfielders:
Wilfred Ndidi
Raphael Onyedika
Joe Aribo
Frank Onyeka
Alex Iwobi
Forwards:
Victor Osimhen
Victor Boniface
Kelechi Iheanacho
Moses Simon
Ademola Lookman
Ahmed Musa
Umar Sadiq
Samuel Chukwueze
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105 Comments
Quite disappointed Moffi and Balogun aren’t going to the AFCON. Musa again? It is well
FOR DROPPING TOP-FORM PLAYERS (Like MOFFI, DESSERS, ADELEYE, Akpom, ) FOR INCONSISTENT ONE (Like Musa, Ssdiq, UZOHO, Aribo).. NOTHING FOR PASEIRO., NOTHING FOR NIGERIA
Quite disappointed Moffi and Balogun aren’t going to the AFCON. Musa again? It’s well
I wish the team best of luck l wish we had a good keeper and a good coach l could hve had some more confidence
Rubbish list
The same midfield? Anyway, I don’t even expect them to progress beyond the first round.
Hahahahahahha Musa have bought his way into the team again. God does not sleep o. So now you will drop Tella for an out of form Musa. God pls let this not be true. Oya Cheerleader. You had better win this Afcon for Nigeria.
This has to be the most greedy super eagles captain I have ever seen…..He said the last Afcon was his last….These folks are not different from politicians…..I dony think Musa has logged a single minitw of olaybthis season…..So his invitation on what basis???? I don’t think this team will make it to or pass the Q final if they do then it’s a miracle…
I keep saying it… We no get coach dropping moffi that is in form o my God…
N9awakali would have been a better addition to the team than Musa. Musa is washed up, the coach should have added to the midfield. Horrible addition Musa is
So team is taking 27 players and this coach will leave out Moffi and Akor Adams for this Musa. Nawa oooo
You have opportunity to take 2 more players and you declined it. Peseiro hear me well and NFF since you people insist you Musa this Musa that. Shebi you think Musa presence wi deliver the cup okwa ya?… you had better Bring the cup home.
Corruption and tribalism have eaten deep in the Nigeria system.
Sodiq Umar, Omeruo, and Musa have no place in this final Afcon list.
This team may not go far in Ivory Coast due to corruption. The two obstacles for this poor display would be NFF and the gaffer.
Osimhen may not get so many chances, and the team may struggle as well.
Dessers, Adeleye, Balogun, and Nwakali exclusion will surely affect and hurt the entire team.
Why 25 instead of 27 players list? This shows how incompetent and unserious NFF and Oga Paseiro are. Fingers crossed.
As I said before, I am not expecting too much from NFF and the coaching crew.
As a Nigerian, I wish Super Eagles the best. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
You’ve spoken well. Peseiro is our biggest obstacle.
Terem Mofi, and Cyril Dessers should have been part of the crack squad to the African Cup of nations in Cote D’Ivoire they should be included to make up the list to 27 players immediately.Thatis the best thing to do immediately. I wish Super Eagles success in the AFCON Championship.
This is not a bad squad for the Afcon..
Moffi had his chances in the past and didn’t do much.. moffi started our last match against Zimbabwe and was no where to be found..
These are the best we have..
Kudos for inviting ekong and Musa for the needed leadership and guidance for the younger players.. from all indicator pesiro only wanted 23 players adding ekong and Musa was just to make the numbers
@Ololo you know what it is some people like you dragging this country down.. okay fine Ekong yes. But what Business does Musa have there.. my friend and sit down Jare.
See guy make I tell you Nigeria Ball is not going anywhere until this Musa who have the NFF and some deluded Fans like you by the balls retires may in another 10 years when he is 55.
You wished for failure abi. Oya na you will go and make uo the numbers there and come back home.
I agree with you, it is the best squad we have but should have make use of the full slot given by CAF. Terem Moffi has not done much in the National team as you said. He needs to bring his form from club side in to the team. I think Akpoguma and one striker should have been added but Terem. It should have been Akpom but he not debut at prior to this tournament and it is not nwise for him to take him straight to AFCON.
Uzoho? Really? I am so speechless. On what basis Uzoho made the list?
Talking about experience, we have Moses Simon, Naco and Ekong. Musa and Uzoho not needed in this squad.
What did Sodiq offer Super Eagles at the last Afcon? Time will tell. God bless Nigeria!!!
Did you watch NIGERIA vs Tunisia round of 16??
Go and rewatch it again. He was the only player that actually meant business that day
Can you please tell me what Sodiq did differently in that particular match you are talking about?
Missing a sitter chance that would have brought Nigeria back in that tournament, huh?
Are you still expecting something from coach Paseiro and the most corrupt NFF? Well, time will tell. God bless Nigeria!!!
@omo9ja is it the same sadiq umar you were calling for Rohr’s head for failing to invite him in our qualifiers? You remember how happy you were when nwakali,sadiq umar, awoniyi,emmanuel Dennis all made the list? Are you the clown now asking what he did in the last AFCON? Your woes haven’t even started yet. Just wait
In 2013 when nff found out that the next opponent of super eagles was going to be Cote D’Ivoire.. the quickly contacted a travel agency along airport road in Ikeja to book the next available flight in the evening asking the players willing to return to clubs in Europe to confirm their email with the agency to receive ticket back to their base .this time in 2023 . The nff will buy the ticket of the coach before he comes out for the last group game .
@Dennis, When we consider the strikers in the Super Eagles presently, Sodiq should be dropped.
You can’t compare the squad we had in the last Afcon to this present one.
Any good coach will pick Dessers after Osimhen, not even Moffi or Sodiq.
I was backing Sodiq then because he was one of the best we had, but now we have so many strikers that are better than Umar Sodiq.
Did you see me saying something about Onuachu, Sodiq, and Moffi?
I will pick Dessers over the three strikers because they are not even close to Dessers quality, but why Sodiq made the final list is my question here.
Tribalism aside, Musa, Uzoho, Sodiq, and Omeruo shouldn’t have made the final list.
Please understand my point. At this moment, Sodiq has no place in the Super Eagles shikena. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!
Its the midfield for me. All I see if tribalism. How can a white man be so specific with the type of people for the midfield. Somebody must be telling him who to pick. And people complain here all the time about the midfield and watch the forwards get no service.
Ekong couldnt cut it in the premier league, got exposed so much and relegated.
Samuel Chukwueze is a dribbler, not serious.
And Musa is still being invited?
Osimhen and Boniface should of stayed with their club. Especially boniface, bayer Leverkusen is leading and with his presence gone I wouldnt be surprised if they fall. Cant risk a good thing for mediocrity and going through challenges. And watch them go back to their club injured like always
I agree with you bro @Shuma. Osimhen and Boniface should just hand in and excuse letter ti be excused and let this NFF and thier Mumu Nigeria go and Fail and Come back home. If I were Osimhen and Boniface I would not want to be associated with such a joke of a scam
Good squad…missing Moffi.
I am Waiting for The Paragraph writers they know themselves to come and start analysing and giving excuse as to why Musa must be Included in SE because he scored 2 lucky Goals against Argentina 10yrs ago
People saying Musa is Ronaldo of Nigeria should hide their head in shame.. Ronaldo In his First season scored 53 goals in Al Nassar a club Musa only manged 9 goals in 3 years and was enventually deemed surplus to requirements and shipped out. Rubbish.
WHEN THE LEAGUE DID NOT EVEN HAVE ALL THE TALENTED TOP EUROPEAN EXPORTS THEY HAVE THIS SEASON ABSOLUTE INSANITY GOING INTO A MAJOR TOURNAMENT WHERE WE NEED TO SAVE FACE
MAYBE YOU PEOPLE DON’T REALISE IF NIGERIA FAILS TO LIFT THIS CUP IN COTE DE’ VOIRE
WE WILL NOT BE SEEN AS A GIANT OF BALL IN AFRICA AGAIN RATHER A NOBENTITY THIS TOURNAMENT IS REALLY THE LAST STRAW FOR THIS COUNTRY PERIOD TO SAVE FACE AND IMAGE
I will score the list 80% Grade B.
Adeleye for Uzohobasket, Balogun for a combination of Ekong and Omeruo, Alhassan for Onyedika, Moffi for Musa.
To win a tournament with a grade B squad, the team does not only need techniques but will have to rely on luck and discipline.
Which club is Balogun playing for now?
Rangers same club as Dessers
This is obviously NFF influenced squad of familiar faces with injection of Ahmed Musa, making his way back into the squad despite lack of game time at club. Sadly enough, Kelechi Nwakali, the only midfielder with passing range and the shooting range in the squad was dropped. I just feel we made a great error leaving out Nwakali from the squad given his skillset, especially in the department where we’ve shortage of personnel and quality in terms of ball passes and distribution. 5 midfielders in team that looks to compete for the trophy is too scanty.
How come our best goalkeeper in Europe in the last two seasons, Adeleye Adebayo, was excluded in place of Francis Uzoho? Hopefully, the new invitee, Stanley Nwabili gets an opportunity to assess his quality.
What’s more Leon Balogun who’s Super Eagles most experienced and in-form defender is overlooked.
In any case, my consolation lies in the fact that Chidozie Awaziem was included to provide option in the centre half for the likes of Ajayi and Bassey Calvin.
I hope the midfield will be able to provide right supply of balls to the forwards. It’s also our hope that the wide men would be able to find their rhythm with the right deliveries in the final third. We also hope the strike force of Osimhen Victor, Boniface Victor will come to the party in Cote d’Ivoire.
Hmmmm Has Sadiq Umar who just came back from injury done enough to make the squad ahead of Terem Moffi?
I have said this in my previous post that the coach see moffi has a supporting striker. Unfortunately, the emergence of Boniface, saw his position drops to third in the order of ranking. With both Boniface and Ihenacho ahead of him. The only player who threaten sodiq is injured Awoniyi. To deputize for Osimhen.
Sadiq for Moffi who does that if not Nigerian coach. 2 extra slot discarded and waste. What a nation
Nah this Paseiro dey technically bereft, nah him still stubborn and arrogant pass ontop all the mediocrity. Abeg make him come dey carry him kaya dey waka after the Afcon. I mean you can’t be poor and proud at the same time. My problem is if luck shines on him peren, they will retain him. It’s in the contract clause.
Naturally, I want Nigeria to win the Afcon against all odds. But how do we get rid of this super-average blockhead if that happens?
Tournament hasn’t even started and some chlartans on this platform have already started wishing the team doom just to soothe their bloated ego. So If Peseiro drops Musa & Umar and selects Dessers and Moffi instead, we would have risen From crashing out in the first round to winning the trophy.? Some fans are just so pathetic. We all know Peseiro’s starting 11 ,we also know his likely 5 sub’s per game. These players people are losing sleep over can hardly get more than 5 mins game time, ( if they even get the nod as sub) So how can Dessers/Moffi/ Akpom be the determinant factor for us to win the Afcon???. Nigerians are so pathetic. No wonder they elected a jonkey as president !!!!!!!
Rubbish selection – I wash my hands of this useless bastard country
I am not watching!
Much better things to do!
Peseiro is a coward
Why has Ahmed Musa not offered his place to a young home-based? He has been canvassing for their inclusion That would have been an honourable thing to do.
Facts…Musa should have given his spot to a player from NPFL preferably an attacking midfielder or better yet the coach should have removed Musa and replace him with Nwakali… clueless coach.
Peseiro’s Super Eagles lay a lot of eggs in creating scoring opportunities only to hatch pitifully few of those chances.
The defence has also proven to be brittle with pressure applied with goalkeeping vulnerabilities.
The midfield struggles to impose its will on opponents as the lion share of the team’s attacking threats coming from the flanks.
Peseiro plays a high intensity brand of football with quick transition from defence to attack with crosses being whipped into opposition 18 yard box as if crosses were running out of fashion.
The question is, can this set of players elevate Peseiro’s philosophy in a way that would yield tournament success?
It’s anyone’s guess.
I still feel that our defence and goalkeeping infrastructure can be prone to costly errors.
The midfield is not fluid. Iwobi and Aribo have to be comfortable traveling with the ball across a reasonable distance.
Lookman and Chukwueze on the flanks need to improve their deliveries massively.
Our centre forwards require innovative movements and need to be more clinical.
To be honest the team has its work cut out. It is a decent list of players experienced of the demands of international football bar a few like Onyedika.
I am optimistic of a quarter final berth at least.
A good Coach has no Excuse not to do well with the calibre of players we have. The list is not bad we can’t have a perfect selection, my only worry is the Olodo outdated Coach!!!
1. Why waste two slots. Fill it up with two midfielders you have not used before. Eg alhassan and nwakali. This should be simple enough but not so for Nigeria
2. Why is everyone talking about moffi and not desser. To me moffi has been given enough chances but he has not really delivered. It’s no sad that desser chose to play for Nigeria. To me he is far better than moffi.
3. Sodiq should have been dropped for moffi. I wonder what he sees in sodiq. Maybe this Nigerian northern thing. So sad.
4. Shame to Musa. Shame to him. If he is still good I would have made a case for him. But he is not good again. He has not even played for us for a long time now. Shame on Musa shame on pesero and shame on nff. What a country.
5. The defence is okay as it is. Those calling for balogun. Well I understand but I won’t miss him at all. Happy that awaziem is there and ekong.
6. Can this thin midfield win us afcon. Just 5 midfielders. We lost the opportunity to have some fresh legs like alhassan and nwakali. When are going to see alhassan in eagles shirt.
Aribo really has a godfather st nff. Well enjoy your time. You better do well at afcon.
7. I wonder why some people think he will drop uzoho. He won’t drop him. I only wish we can see nwabsli in goal but your guess is as good as mine. Uzoho will start again at afcon.
8. The attack would have been so good if sodiq and Musa were not included.
Finally let’s hope for the best. I hope the attackers can convert their chances.
I agreed with your points except Umar Sadiq,he should be part of the attack with his experience in the previous tournament and his present form.I can’t disagreed on issue of Ahmad Musa because I don’t understand his inclusion myself.I think used Slot shoulder have been in the midfield.
This is the best players we can lay our hands on at the moment. Peseiro kept faith with players he has tested so am not surprised he didn’t extend invitation to some players. Some players though on current forms should have been included but because they picked form at the wrong time. Players like Akor , Desser , Akpom picked form late while Moffi had his chance to stamp his authority in the team but failed.
A team of 18 players can win any tournament so once a team can present 18 good players out of the 25 players i think the coach has done a good job. How many players did Argentina use to win the World Cup or France used to get to the final . These noises about some players not being chosen is uncalled for.
What we need now is for the team to gel and be more disciplined at the tournament . When Nigeria won 1994 Nation’s cup , Keshi was in the team and he played nothing yet we still won. To me Musa deserves to be there .
Hopefully we shall qualify for the World Cup then players like Osho , Solanke , player in Serie A will be included in the team and most of these average players will be no where to be found.
Someone said a few weeks ago that owngoal was a fake site and unreliable….the only difference btw this 25 man list and their 27 man list is the absence of Moffi and Adeleye.
I hope that someone can at least humbly come back here and give them their flowers.
Whatever made Peserio go for a 25man list when CAF and NFF are ready to fund 27men beats imagination. We could make do with 1 more midfielder and attacker or 2 more midfielders as the case may be.
I am not sure about all these noises going around about 27-man team. Many other countries that have named their team selected 25-man list.
Apologies Dr drey
It was actually a 27-man squad and not 25.
Pasero but why????
I agree Dr. Drey. I am still surprised. That midfield has not really given us joy over time. Why miss that opportunity to take them along.
Ivory coast dropped Zaha, Cameroon dropped chopo muting and we are here crying for Moffi that couldn’t do anything against Zimbabwe finally you don’t need to carry super star players for you to win a tournament,you just need 5good players and as many as average players to win a tournament
@ Dr Drey maybe he want lodge 2 Olosho in the extra 2 rooms that will be available to accommodate players.
The Man na fool. If SE come out of the group stage make we thank God. Na Osimhen i just dey pity i swear. Cuz he no go see single clear chance at goal as we’ve no creative midfielders.
With what we still have on ground though, we should be able to put up an average performance but for the Coach mediocrity, the SE will find it difficult to break down opponent defense cuz Mr. Peseiro will still stick with his stupid 4-4-2.
When you allow a smelly toad of whiteman who knows nothing to handle your national team… this is what you get. How can any normal human being explain the insistence to go to a major tournament with 25players despite CAF willing to allow 27players officially. Any real football aficionado will tell our midfield is too thin and once either of Ndidi or Iwobi is unavailable then our tournament is over… We need two more midfielders or a midfielder and a striker. If we make it out of the group stage then we have overachieved…
Adeleye out for Uzoho and Ojo Olorunleke?
25 players instead of 27 players?
Ahmed Musa over a good defender like Akpogunma?
Paseiro is devil sent to destroy Super Eagles of Nigeria, as he has not nothing to lose.
Before… 23 players make the team for any Tournament in the past and dropping out some fans favorite players for any Tournament is not big deal anymore. The likes of Martins, Odemwingie, and others were dropped in 2013 and with luck on our sides , we won the Tournament.
I can bet it with you that Musa, Omeruo and probably Ekong will mostly spend their time in that tournament on the bench.. unless we win first two matches. My problem isn’t the team list but the coach himself. He’s too predictable. I’m so surprised many fans are complaining as if they don’t know what the team will look like. And from this team, I can easily pick his first Eleven with the formation. His style is well known all over Africa.. that’s my fear.
Just stop his team from playing their game and pray our keeper or defenders commit one or two blunder(s) it’s as simple as that.
I love the team list but I can’t bet on them ( so sorry )
At least the only positive from the AFCON is that the coach would be fired. It’s almost certain that we won’t go far. I’m in favor of foreign coaches for SE, but this Peseiro guys mehn is way below average.
I just wonder why we are chasing shadows with the issue of 25 or 27 players. My question is how many players will see action in the course of the competition? Maybe 16 or at most 18. The rest will be squad players.
I honestly think the selection is ok, one of the best we’ve had in recent times. Every wing in this team is well covered especially the defence and attack where we have at least two players per wing. This means that nobody will be relaxed in training. The midfield is ok. Iwobi is enjoying regular time of football at Fulham and doing well. Aribo is back to form at his club Sunderland and Ndidi, well, our best bet in the midfield. Then we have Onyeka and the guy from Belgium to support . If our midfield jells in the nations cup and the defence is solid, there is no doubt that the attack, led by Osimhen, will create problems for our opponents. Right now we have two of the best strikers in world football- Osimhen and Boniface, and both are Victors. Any team will be happy to have both.
My main concern with this team are the coach and the goalkeeping department. Who will be our number 1? Uzoho is mistake prone. I don’t trust him. Will Peseiro stick with him? As for Nwabali, I really don’t know anything about him. Who knows he might just be our joker.
For the coach, this is where my major concern lies. A team is as good as the coach it has. Paseiro has not proven to us that he is sound. What strategy will he employ that will bring out the best in our boys. Give this Nigeria’s team to a very sound coach and the only thing that will stop them from winning this Nation’s cup will bad luck. Our midfield is usually too thin. In modern day football you win matches from having a midfield that connects the defence to the attack but when you have few midfielders compare to your opponent, you struggle. Paseiro likes to play 4 attack minded players. 2 strikers and another 2 that joins from the wings and join. the midfield when the need arises. The truth is the guys playing from the wings are not midfielders. So often, they are lost in the attack, and when this happens our midfield suffers. When you meet a solid team, your midfield is overwhelmed and pressure mounts on your defence. I think having more than two natural midfielders is the way of football, today. So, you see my fear for Paseiro.
Lastly why are we bothered with Musa. He will just be a squad player. His experience will be needed in the trainings and dressing room and maybe from the side, too, I. Desperate times. Apart from that I don’t see him playing.
Why are we bothered about Musa? Because he is taking the place of a competent forward like Tella. If he wants to be a captain cheerleader, he should be made captain of the cheerleaders of Nigeria and make his presence known from the spectator stand or appointed into the coaching staff as a morale therapist.
A national team selection is an evolving project – it is not static – meaning today’s inexperienced international is tomorrow’s experienced player. The evolution of the Super Eagles does not start and stop with AFCON 2024. Young players exposed to big tournaments gain experience that is useful for World Cup qualification and beyond.
Tired legs like Musa would be even more tired going into the future. We sacrifice the future evolution of the team on the altar of political experience. Someone below stated that Hausas are not fairly represented in the SE, while true, I prefer the introduction of players like Al-Hassan or stalwarts like Sanusi even Sadiq (even though I think his place undeservedly ranks above others)than Musa.
The SE should not become a retirement home for the politically connected superannuated. Every tournament Musa claims it would be his last, he contributes nothing in the qualification stages and yet insists on being in the team to the tournament.
Approval of this type of behaviour is why merit has been destroyed and mediocrity is prevalent in Nigeria.
Sorry Aribo of Southampton
Bring your pop corn out lads! This is going to be interesting..ROTFL.
I have warned you to support cautiously, una no go listen, you see your life.
This is going to be better than basket mouth uncensored…lol.
Same set of toothless midfield players, this team is not going anywhere, you guys should not expect anything from this coach. It is going to be that predictable 442, disable their wingers and occupies their midfield. This tactics adopt by any team will beat eagles.
The players are not any problem but the Nff and their chosen coach selection and competency is the problem. Uzoho get rewarded for failure abi ko? Who is our creative midfielders apart from iwobi? Any suspension or injuries? Who can give our so called fearsome attackers the ball to score goals? Anything happens to just only iwobi? Our tournament is done! Musa is good to go as a competent cheerleader captain. Let him be very seriously vocal by breathing down the neck of our just 75 percent committed players, musa and ekong will be the key as cheerleading motivators. Nff and peseiro are incompetent. EMMANUEL amuneke is a far better coach than that serially unsuccessful age long retirement benefit coach peseiro!
Certainly, here’s a revised version of the piece:
One of the most glaring absences for me is Nwakali. I’ve earnestly hoped for a player akin to Iwobi, someone capable of stepping into the team as a reliable backup. Among the midfielders, he stands out with commendable attacking prowess. In case of Iwobi’s absence due to injury or suspension, progressing from midfield, especially in tight scenarios expected at this AFCON, poses a challenge. Most others in the squad exhibit more defensive tendencies than a flair for attacking. Perhaps Ndidi, with his altered role at Leicester, could assist to some extent. Nonetheless, having a natural midfielder with a strong passing range would significantly enhance our ability to trouble opponents in the final third.
Alhassan might not be a necessity; I have faith in Onyedika and Onyeka to perform admirably. However, Nwakali is indispensable. We require someone dependable, naturally equipped to step in if needed.
Moffi’s exclusion surprises me, although his absence may not be sorely felt. He seemed to understand Osimhen’s movements better than many other supporting strikers available. Dessers could have filled that role, but his omission is unsurprising with Musa’s selection.
Initially, I was skeptical about Musa’s inclusion. On further reflection, it appears he might contribute more off the field than as an active player. Throughout history, we’ve had such players – like Keshi in 1994 and Yobo in 2013. They can prove valuable, particularly when the team lacks a psychologist. Whether Musa possesses that leadership quality akin to Yobo and Keshi remains to be seen.
I remain cautiously optimistic, primarily due to concerns about Peseiro’s managerial capabilities, our thin midfield, leaky defense, especially during set pieces, and our subpar goalkeeper. I can’t foresee significant changes before the tournament. Achieving the semi-finals with this team would indeed be miraculous. Nevertheless, as they say, never say never.
My only hope rest with the attackers. Please Oshimen, Boniface, lookman, chukuwueze Simon… Convert your chances. You may not get much services. But the ones you get convert.please. Let us use our strength to our advantage.
I still maintain that if these attackers have not been wasteful we would have won more matches and we won’t even be blaming pesero today because the stats will be to his advantage.
Oshimen and co have been wasteful. Very wasteful. So sad.
Well this is afcon. I don’t get scared with afcon. Anything can still happen. We should always be top favorites.
But don’t watch and get hypertension o. Please I beg you. Expect anything and enjoy yourself.
Thank you my brother, tell them.
One of them has already promised not to watch the tournament. I’m so happy for him . I can’t forget the way his blood was boiling during female World Cup not to talk about super Eagles. Life is sweet o I beg. Let’s just sit back and enjoy. Let’s all believe that they have nothing good to offer and if something contrary to what we all believe happens, it’s a plus for us. Up Super Eagles.
Rating Nigeria’s 25 Man Squad
The cat is out of the NFF bag, finally. The list of the history makers for Nigeria in the 2023 Afcon was released yesterday and it has received mixed responses from critics and fans.
The inclusion of players like Musa, Ekong, Umar and Uzoho has drawn condemnation in certain corners with others left scratching their heads about the omission of Moffi, Yusuf, Dele-Bashiru and Akpom, to mention a few.
Here I will aim to subjectively rate each player in Peseiro’s list.
Goalkeepers:
Stanley Nwabali: untried and untested in tournament and high level international football. Uzoho’s perceived inadequacies paved the way for Stanley’s inclusion. Will he be number one? I think this will be a huge gamble. Nwabili is not the marquee goalkeeper Super Eagles fans are screaming for but can he be the saviour? I have my doubts. 5.5/10
Francis Uzoho: truth be told, he has allowed far to many long range efforts to get the the best him in the past 24 months. He has become pantomime villain of a large section of the Super Eagles Fanbase with many seeing him as harmful to Nigeria’s chances in the tournament. He has a lot to prove and he will be chomping at the bit to prove his critics wrong if Peseiro retains him as numero uno. 5/10
Olorunleke Ojo: he has been a peripheral part of the team for some time. A competent goalkeeper on his day, Ojo is a wildcard. If he sees action, the low expectations of his competency should work in his advantage. 5.5/10
Overall Nigeria’s goalkeeping department on paper is nothing special on paper.
Defenders:
William Troost-Ekong: his leadership skills and passion for the national team are positives. His propensity for errors cannot be ignored as well as not particularly being one of Peseiro’s favourites. 6/10
Bright Osayi-Samuel: a great revelation under Peseiro who has knocked Ebuehi and Shehu Abdullahi into a cocked hat. His ability to win penalties or draw fouls in dangerous opposition areas are boons. He is also no slouch in his defensive sub-routines. A player capable of injecting flair into the Super Eagles. 8/10
Ola Aina: a workaholic who is purposeful driving forward and dedicated when defending. Aina is a firm fan favourite who can introduce the odd moments of magic to the Super Eagles. 7.5/10
Zaidu Sanusi: his influence on the team has waned in recent times but his quality remains undeniable. Should Zaidu bring his magnum opus to play, his presence can be pivotal in Peseiro’s philosophy. 7/10
Bruno Onyemaechi: another revelation though untested in tournament football. He produced shades of eye catching performances for Nigeria with his pullouts recently. On the ball, Bruno is a beast but his defensive acumen will be tested massively in Ivory Coast. 6.5/10
Semi Ajayi: a committed centre back who is very lethal with headers in set pieces – in fact he scored a header for the Super Eagles recently. But he can be found slightly wanting defensively. A sense of place seems his problem at times and he is susceptible to being bullied by African strikers. 6.5/10
Calvin Bassey: a versatile defender who is still learning the ropes. He can be caught unawares at times and chemistry with his colleagues at the back needs to be polished. But his long balls are world class and his overall skills set makes him deserving of his place. More so Peseiro has faith in Bassey which is what is most important. 6.5/10
Chidozie Awaziem: making a return to the team, Awaziem’s versatility is his trump card. He brings a lot to the table with neat interceptions and clever runs into offensive areas. Highly experienced in international football and he seldom seems fazed by the occasion. But he is not to complete article. He has his fair share of error propensity and can be anonymous just when you start believing in him. 6.5/10
Kenneth Omeruo: old soldier never die. Omeruo is here for experience. Never really pacey in his heydays, Omeruo has slowed considerably. But his positional sense, physicality and overall awareness are suitable tasks on ground. He proved recently that he still has the legs, lungs and latitude for African football. 6/10
For me our defence is not without inescapable flaws. The fullbacks are decent going forward but can be found wanting defensively. Our centre backs all have errors in them are have cracked more often than not recently.
To be continued….
Well, the list is not so bad like dat anyway. The only thing l had tot Pesseiro nd the others concerned should have done was to add Nwakali to complement Iwobi and Dessres to second Osimhen too just to bring balance in the team.
As for me, Musa is good to be in the team. He has a role to play. Sadiq…. ee.. eeemh, am not too sure of anything special he can add or do in the team bt he is there anyway. Let’s pray for him to do well.
We should watch out for Raphael Onyedika, Valentine Nwabili and Victor Boniface. Something tells me they( especially Onyedika) are going to be our jokers in the Nations cup baring injuries The young guy seems to me to have got some kind of flair or technique, passion and that super energy/drive that excels any good talent.
As a matter of fact, with what we have today, the right mix in our midfield department is Ndidi, Onyedika nd Iwobi combo. Let’s just forget about nomenclatures and club.
So, the only opportunity we have to strengthen the team or add to and alter the list is, if only the CAF rules for the Nation’s cup allow for that or has a time frame for such changes. I would prefer adding Nwakali(midfielder) and Dessres(stricker) to the list to make it a 27 man list instead.
Well, the list is not so bad like dat anyway. The only thing l had tot Pesseiro nd the others concerned should have done was to add Nwakali to complement Iwobi and Dessres to second Osimhen too just to bring balance in the team.
As for me, Musa is good to be in the team. He has a role to play. Sadiq…. ee.. eeemh, am not too sure of anything special he can add or do in the team bt he is there anyway. Let’s pray for him to do well.
We should watch out for Raphael Onyedika, Valentine Nwabili and Victor Boniface. Something tells me they (especially Onyedika) are going to be our jokers in the Nations cup baring injuries. The young guy seems to me to have got some kind of flair or technique, passion and that super energy/drive that excels any good talent.
As a matter of fact, with what we have today, the right mix in our midfield department is Ndidi, Onyedika nd Iwobi combo. Let’s just forget about nomenclatures and club.
So, the only opportunity we have to strengthen the team or add to and alter the list is, if only the CAF rules for the Nations cup allow for that or has a time frame for such changes. I would prefer adding Nwakali(midfielder) and Dessres(stricker) to the list to make it a 27 man list instead.
Best of luck, dear Super Eagles of Nigeria.
If Peseiro was tactically flexible, the situation is still salvageable.
The formation that would allow us to use only 2 midfielders and still be solid is 3-4-3.
We have the players that can interpret this formation superbly. Boniface is already used to this formation. This is what Xabi Alonso is using to keep Bayer Leverkusen on top of the Bundesliga.
Suggested 3-4-3 formation:
Goalkeeper (any of the 3 can start for me)
Awaziem, Ajayi, Bassey
Aina, Ndidi, Iwobi, Bruno
Iheanacho, Osimhen, Boniface
I humbly submit that I have every confidence that a line up like this, even with the expected minimal tactical input from Peseiro, will go far in this competition, and possibly win it.
Alas, 4-4-2 is Jose Peseiro’s answer to every question so far. Unless a miracle has happened, leading him to become suddenly open to new ideas, Jose will do what Jose does. 4-4-2 all the way.
Best wishes to the team. If we will be going to battle with the same old 4-4-2, keep your BP meds handy.
Uzoho is likely to start. He has been out-of-this-world for his club recently so much so his coach is reluctant to let him go.
Uzoho should be a born again goalkeeper in Ivory Coast with evidence of keeping well authority and confidence.
Deo my good man, may it be well with us!
Rating the Squad
The cat is out of the NFF bag, finally. The list of the history makers for Nigeria in the 2023 Afcon was released yesterday and it has received mixed responses from critics and fans.
The inclusion of players like Musa, Ekong, Umar and Uzoho has drawn condemnation in certain corners with others left scratching their heads about the omission of Moffi, Yusuf, Dele-Bashiru and Akpom, to mention a few.
Here I will aim to subjectively rate each player in Peseiro’s list.
Goalkeepers
Stanley Nwabali: untried and untested in tournament and high level international football. Uzoho’s perceived inadequacies paved the way for Stanley’s inclusion. Will he be number one? I think this will be a huge gamble. Nwabili is not the marquee goalkeeper Super Eagles fans are screaming for but can he be the saviour? I have my doubts. 5.5/10
Francis Uzoho: truth be told, he has allowed far to many long range efforts to get the the best him in the past 24 months. He has become pantomime villain of a large section of the Super Eagles Fanbase with many seeing him as harmful to Nigeria’s chances in the tournament. He has a lot to prove and he will be chomping at the bit to prove his critics wrong if Peseiro retains him as numero uno. 5/10
Olorunleke Ojo: he has been a peripheral part of the team for some time. A competent goalkeeper on his day, Ojo is a wildcard. If he sees action, the low expectations of his competency should work in his advantage. 5.5/10
Overall Nigeria’s goalkeeping department on paper is nothing special on paper.
Defenders
William Troost-Ekong: his leadership skills and passion for the national team are positives. His propensity for errors cannot be ignored as well as not particularly being one of Peseiro’s favourites. 6/10
Bright Osayi-Samuel: a great revelation under Peseiro who has knocked Ebuehi and Shehu Abdullahi into a cocked hat. His ability to win penalties or draw fouls in dangerous opposition areas are boons. He is also no slouch in his defensive sub-routines. A player capable of injecting flair into the Super Eagles. 8/10
Ola Aina: a workaholic who is purposeful driving forward and dedicated when defending. Aina is a firm fan favourite who can introduce the odd moments of magic to the Super Eagles. 7.5/10
Zaidu Sanusi: his influence on the team has waned in recent times but his quality remains undeniable. Should Zaidu bring his magnum opus to play, his presence can be pivotal in Peseiro’s philosophy. 7/10
Bruno Onyemaechi: another revelation though untested in tournament football. He produced shades of eye catching performances for Nigeria with his pullouts recently. On the ball, Bruno is a beast but his defensive acumen will be tested massively in Ivory Coast. 6.5/10
Semi Ajayi: a committed centre back who is very lethal with headers in set pieces – in fact he scored a header for the Super Eagles recently. But he can be found slightly wanting defensively. A sense of place seems his problem at times and he is susceptible to being bullied by African strikers. 6.5/10
Calvin Bassey: a versatile defender who is still learning the ropes. He can be caught unawares at times and chemistry with his colleagues at the back needs to be polished. But his long balls are world class and his overall skills set makes him deserving of his place. More so Peseiro has faith in Bassey which is what is most important. 6.5/10
Chidozie Awaziem: making a return to the team, Awaziem’s versatility is his trump card. He brings a lot to the table with neat interceptions and clever runs into offensive areas. Highly experienced in international football and he seldom seems fazed by the occasion. But he is not to complete article. He has his fair share of error propensity and can be anonymous just when you start believing in him. 6.5/10
Kenneth Omeruo: old soldier never die. Omeruo is here for experience. Never really pacey in his heydays, Omeruo has slowed considerably. But his positional sense, physicality and overall awareness are suitable tasks on ground. He proved recently that he still has the legs, lungs and latitude for African football. 6/10
For me our defence is not without inescapable flaws. The fullbacks are decent going forward but can be found wanting defensively. Our centre backs all have errors in them are have cracked more often than not recently.
Midfielders
Wilfred Ndidi: he has found a new lease of life as an attacking midfielder for Leicester. This augurs well for the Super Eagles as Peseiro plays only 2 midfielders expected to inject creativity. A supremely experienced midfielder in international and club football, Ndidi’s inclusion is a no-brainer. 8/10
Raphael Onyedika: a rookie at this level, passion,hunger and a desire to cement his Super Eagles status should help channel his unique talent to devastating effects. Fans yearn for fresh faces, in Raphael we have it, really good addition. 7/10.
Joe Aribo: he has been lightweight in Super Eagles midfield but his passing range and quality have noticeably improved. He often fails to justify his selection ahead of other prospects in the midfield for Nigeria but his versatile is a key advantage this time around as Peseiro has at times deployed him as a striker. 6/10
Frank Onyeka: it’s always difficult to place where he belongs in midfield. Not clinical enough in attacking midfielder and not robust enough in defensive midfield. He often struggles to impose himself on a game as he seems to fly under the midfield radar in-game. But he is quite unpredictable in a good way and he is a consummate workaholic. 5.5/10
Alex Iwobi: his influence in Nigeria’s midfield had weakened recently. His passion and dedication remain undiminished but the light midfield apparatus of Peseiro doesn’t always allow Iwobi to shine as he has to to far more with this ball than he is comfortable with. Still he is a solid addition to the squad due to his wealth of experience at this level. 8/10
Our midfield lacks creativity and ample mobility. They have struggled to interpret Peseiro’s vision but hopefully things will change in Ivory Coast.
Forwards
Victor Osimhen: what else is there to say about Osihmen? The hottest property in African and world football at the moment, the Napoli juggernaut is expected to light up the tournament. He is one of the reasons why neutral observers across the globe will tune in to watch the tournament. My only worry: will he be able to shoulder the huge weight of expectations? 10/10
Victor Boniface: despite doing good numbers in Germany, Boniface is still finding his way in the turbulent world of national team football. His invitation meant other fan favorites like Onuachu, Akpom, Moffi and Dessers are excluded. All eyes will be on him to just his inclusion ahead of others. Still his addition might be a gamble but his club heroics cannot be overlooked. 7/10
Kelechi Iheanacho: having been in the national team since 2015, senior man is fast becoming senior citizen. Quite an enigma, you never know what to expect from Iheanacho. One minute he is Nwankwo Kanu, the next he is Antony Okpotu. For me Iheanacho is not overly reliable but when the spirit of football possesses him, he is truly magical. 7.5/10
Moses Simon: quite an accomplished winger, Simon is undoubtedly one of the marquee names in the squad. Although he lost his starting berth to Lookman, his impact off the bench have been electric. A highly skillful and technically endowed winger, Simon’s contributions are pivotal to how far Nigeria will go in the tournament. I just pray he doesn’t get carried away and starts dribbling aimlessly. 8/10
Ademola Lookman: he hasn’t been very effective on the flanks but time will come for him to shine. It remains to be seen whether he will retain his starting 11 slot but this winger is a big game player who will endeavour to bring no end of problems to Super Eagles opponents. 7/10
Ahmed Musa: quite a symbolic addition to the squad. I am of the personal opinion that at least one slot should be reserved for a largely non-playing symbolic player who has paid his dues and wants to hang on slightly beyond his sell-by date. Musa can still run, lay passes, track opponents and whip crosses. As a bit part player off the pitch and an influential dressing room presence, Musa is deserving of his slot from that perspective. 6/10
Umar Sadiq: some otherworldly goals in Spain recently rescued his Afcon chances. Umar is an arrow head who is expected to grow into the tournament. His talents are not in doubt though many fans feel excluded Moffi, Dessers, Onuachu and Akpom bring more to the table. 6/10
Samuel Chukwueze: I think he has lost his starting 11 slot to Iheanacho (who plays with greater intelligence). Chukwueze has been more of a miss than a hit for the Super Eagles recently. He seemed clueless with begging chances and he missed some ghastly sitters. Decision making has let him down and he has migrated from fan-favorite to fan-bugbear. His selection is controversial but he is a big name player playing in a big name club. 6/10
Our strike force misses far too many scoring chances. They are predictable and have shown to be able to be curtailed.
For me, the only problem i have with the list, is why did NFF and Peseiro not just exhaust the 27 slots CAF gave them. I don’t think two more players (esp. in the midfield) would have such a significant effect on their proposed budget.
You all crying on corruption and all…sometimes try to approach stuffs with open mindset and think things through, not just jump on every issue because “there is corruption”. I mean, think about it, Why do you need Moffi when you have Osihmen, Boniface, Lukman, Sadiq, and the likes. I think he’s injured, so why risk him to Afcon? Also, if we won’t perform at this Afcon it definitely won’t be because Moffi isn’t there…surely not. Gift Orban? Yes, he could have been given a chance, but he surely doesn’t have the experience like Sadiq and Kels or other guys in the fold already. He’s young, he will get his chance. Osihmen sat it out for Odion ighalo two afcons ago.
I know you lot wanna talk about Musa’s inclusion so much, it’s easy to blame it on tribalism, club forms and whatever comes to your mind first (as usual). But i choose not to. I don’t see him as a playing captain, i think he will just be there to boost the confidence of the guys and lead with the team’s traditions when needed. Also, he seems as a positive-minded fellow, and the team will need that. Football is not just what about happens on the field. I mean, Yobo was also a non-playing captain the last time we won this tournament. And lastly, you may not like this, Musa is an Hausa man, and Hausa is usually the least represented tribe in the team. Yes, it shouldn’t be about tribe, but most tribes will still like to see one of their own. Moreover, i don’t think inclusion of Musa in that team will so much hurt the team’s performance, as you all are insinuating. Sometimes, just breath.
My main fear is the lack of creativity from the middle. Iwobi is the only creative figure we have in that team’s midfield, and that is why i would have included Nwakali in this list. I’m not a big fan of the lad, as we all saw him at the last afcon. For me, he was just mere average, not even close to what we have in Iwobi, but in a situation where Lukman and Chuks or Simon are marked out, and Iwobi is injured or underforming, may be Nwakali could make a difference from the bench. Especially when you try to sacrifice a defensive midfielder when you are losing, he could be that guy that breaks attacks and give that arrow single pass. And please, stop calling for Al-hassan and the likes, we have a bunch of the same qualities in Onyedika, Onyeka, Ajayi and Ndidi. My other fear like everyone else is the goalkeeping session. However, i don’t think we have better legs anywhere. Whatever happens, I’m in support of this team and come January, i will be cheering them from my room. God bless Super Eagles, God bless Nigeria.
Rating Nigeria’s 25 Man Squad
The cat is out of the NFF bag, finally. The list of the history makers for Nigeria in the 2023 Afcon was released yesterday and it has received mixed responses from critics and fans.
The inclusion of players like Musa, Ekong, Umar and Uzoho has drawn condemnation in certain corners with others left scratching their heads about the omission of Moffi, Yusuf, Dele-Bashiru and Akpom, to mention a few.
Here I will aim to subjectively rate each player in Peseiro’s list.
Goalkeepers
Stanley Nwabali: untried and untested in tournament and high level international football. Uzoho’s perceived inadequacies paved the way for Stanley’s inclusion. Will he be number one? I think this will be a huge gamble. Nwabili is not the marquee goalkeeper Super Eagles fans are screaming for but can he be the saviour? I have my doubts. 5.5/10
Francis Uzoho: truth be told, he has allowed far to many long range efforts to get the the best him in the past 24 months. He has become pantomime villain of a large section of the Super Eagles Fanbase with many seeing him as harmful to Nigeria’s chances in the tournament. He has a lot to prove and he will be chomping at the bit to prove his critics wrong if Peseiro retains him as numero uno. 5/10
Olorunleke Ojo: he has been a peripheral part of the team for some time. A competent goalkeeper on his day, Ojo is a wildcard. If he sees action, the low expectations of his competency should work in his advantage. 5.5/10
Overall Nigeria’s goalkeeping department on paper is nothing special on paper.
Defenders:
William Troost Ekong: his leadership skills and passion for the national team are positives. His propensity for errors cannot be ignored as well as not particularly being one of Peseiro’s favourites. 6/10
Bright Osayi Samuel: a great revelation under Peseiro who has knocked Ebuehi and Shehu Abdullahi into a cocked hat. His ability to win penalties or draw fouls in dangerous opposition areas are boons. He is also no slouch in his defensive sub-routines. A player capable of injecting flair into the Super Eagles. 8/10
Ola Aina: a workaholic who is purposeful driving forward and dedicated when defending. Aina is a firm fan favourite who can introduce the odd moments of magic to the Super Eagles. 7.5/10
Zaidu Sanusi: his influence on the team has waned in recent times but his quality remains undeniable. Should Zaidu bring his magnum opus to play, his presence can be pivotal in Peseiro’s philosophy. 7/10
Bruno Onyemaechi: another revelation though untested in tournament football. He produced shades of eye catching performances for Nigeria with his pullouts recently. On the ball, Bruno is a beast but his defensive acumen will be tested massively in Ivory Coast. 6.5/10
Semi Ajayi: a committed centre back who is very lethal with headers in set pieces – in fact he scored a header for the Super Eagles recently. But he can be found slightly wanting defensively. A sense of place seems his problem at times and he is susceptible to being bullied by African strikers. 6.5/10
Calvin Bassey: a versatile defender who is still learning the ropes. He can be caught unawares at times and chemistry with his colleagues at the back needs to be polished. But his long balls are world class and his overall skills set makes him deserving of his place. More so Peseiro has faith in Bassey which is what is most important. 6.5/10
Chidozie Awaziem: making a return to the team, Awaziem’s versatility is his trump card. He brings a lot to the table with neat interceptions and clever runs into offensive areas. Highly experienced in international football and he seldom seems fazed by the occasion. But he is not to complete article. He has his fair share of error propensity and can be anonymous just when you start believing in him. 6.5/10
Kenneth Omeruo: old soldier never die. Omeruo is here for experience. Never really pacey in his heydays, Omeruo has slowed considerably. But his positional sense, physicality and overall awareness are suitable tasks on ground. He proved recently that he still has the legs, lungs and latitude for African football. 6/10
For me our defence is not without inescapable flaws. The fullbacks are decent going forward but can be found wanting defensively. Our centre backs all have errors in them are have cracked more often than not recently.
Goalkeepers
Stanley Nwabili, untried and untested in tournament and high level international football. Uzoho’s perceived inadequacies paved the way for Stanley’s inclusion. Will he be number one? I think this will be a huge gamble. Nwabili is not the marquee goalkeeper Super Eagles fans are screaming for but can he be the saviour? I have my doubts. Five points out of Ten
Francis Uzoho, truth be told, he has allowed far to many long range efforts to get the the best him in the past 24 months. He has become pantomime villain of a large section of the Super Eagles Fanbase with many seeing him as harmful to Nigeria’s chances in the tournament. He has a lot to prove and he will be chomping at the bit to prove his critics wrong if Peseiro retains him as numero uno. Five points out of Ten.
Olorunleke Ojo: he has been a peripheral part of the team for some time. A competent goalkeeper on his day, Ojo is a wildcard. If he sees action, the low expectations of his competency should work in his advantage. Five and a half of Ten
Overall Nigeria’s goalkeeping department on paper is nothing special on paper.
Defenders, out of Ten.
William Troost Ekong, his leadership skills and passion for the national team are positives. His propensity for errors cannot be ignored as well as not particularly being one of Peseiro’s favourites. Six points.
Bright Osayi Samuel, a great revelation under Peseiro who has knocked Ebuehi and Shehu Abdullahi into a cocked hat. His ability to win penalties or draw fouls in dangerous opposition areas are boons. He is also no slouch in his defensive sub-routines. A player capable of injecting flair into the Super Eagles. Eight points.
Ola Aina, a workaholic who is purposeful driving forward and dedicated when defending. Aina is a firm fan favourite who can introduce the odd moments of magic to the Super Eagles. Seven and a half points.
Zaidu Sanusi, his influence on the team has waned in recent times but his quality remains undeniable. Should Zaidu bring his magnum opus to play, his presence can be pivotal in Peseiro’s philosophy. Seven points.
Bruno Onyemaechi, another revelation though untested in tournament football. He produced shades of eye catching performances for Nigeria with his pullouts recently. On the ball, Bruno is a beast but his defensive acumen will be tested massively in Ivory Coast. Six and a half points
Semi Ajayi, a committed centre back who is very lethal with headers in set pieces – in fact he scored a header for the Super Eagles recently. But he can be found slightly wanting defensively. A sense of place seems his problem at times and he is susceptible to being bullied by African strikers. Six and a half.
Calvin Bassey, a versatile defender who is still learning the ropes. He can be caught unawares at times and chemistry with his colleagues at the back needs to be polished. But his long balls are world class and his overall skills set makes him deserving of his place. More so Peseiro has faith in Bassey which is what is most important. Six and a half.
Chidozie Awaziem, making a return to the team, Awaziem’s versatility is his trump card. He brings a lot to the table with neat interceptions and clever runs into offensive areas. Highly experienced in international football and he seldom seems fazed by the occasion. But he is not to complete article. He has his fair share of error propensity and can be anonymous just when you start believing in him. Six and a half.
Kenneth Omeruo, old soldier never die. Omeruo is here for experience. Never really pacey in his heydays, Omeruo has slowed considerably. But his positional sense, physicality and overall awareness are suitable tasks on ground. He proved recently that he still has the legs, lungs and latitude for African football. Six points.
For me our defence is not without inescapable flaws. The fullbacks are decent going forward but can be found wanting defensively. Our centre backs all have errors in them are have cracked more often than not recently.
Defenders.
William Troost Ekong, his leadership skills and passion for the national team are positives. His propensity for errors cannot be ignored as well as not particularly being one of Peseiro’s favourites. 6.
Bright Osayi Samuel, a great revelation under Peseiro who has knocked Ebuehi and Shehu Abdullahi into a cocked hat. His ability to win penalties or draw fouls in dangerous opposition areas are boons. He is also no slouch in his defensive sub-routines. A player capable of injecting flair into the Super Eagles. 8.
Ola Aina, a workaholic who is purposeful driving forward and dedicated when defending. Aina is a firm fan favourite who can introduce the odd moments of magic to the Super Eagles. 7.5
Zaidu Sanusi, his influence on the team has waned in recent times but his quality remains undeniable. Should Zaidu bring his magnum opus to play, his presence can be pivotal in Peseiro’s philosophy. 7.
Bruno Onyemaechi, another revelation though untested in tournament football. He produced shades of eye catching performances for Nigeria with his pullouts recently. On the ball, Bruno is a beast but his defensive acumen will be tested massively in Ivory Coast. 6.5
Semi Ajayi, a committed centre back who is very lethal with headers in set pieces – in fact he scored a header for the Super Eagles recently. But he can be found slightly wanting defensively. A sense of place seems his problem at times and he is susceptible to being bullied by African strikers. 6
Calvin Bassey, a versatile defender who is still learning the ropes. He can be caught unawares at times and chemistry with his colleagues at the back needs to be polished. But his long balls are world class and his overall skills set makes him deserving of his place. More so Peseiro has faith in Bassey which is what is most important. 7
Chidozie Awaziem, making a return to the team, Awaziem’s versatility is his trump card. He brings a lot to the table with neat interceptions and clever runs into offensive areas. Highly experienced in international football and he seldom seems fazed by the occasion. But he is not to complete article. He has his fair share of error propensity and can be anonymous just when you start believing in him. 7
Kenneth Omeruo, old soldier never die. Omeruo is here for experience. Never really pacey in his heydays, Omeruo has slowed considerably. But his positional sense, physicality and overall awareness are suitable tasks on ground. He proved recently that he still has the legs, lungs and latitude for African football. 6
For me our defence is not without inescapable flaws. The fullbacks are decent going forward but can be found wanting defensively. Our centre backs all have errors in them are have cracked more often than not recently.
Defenders, out of Ten.
William Troost Ekong, his leadership skills and passion for the national team are positives. His propensity for errors cannot be ignored as well as not particularly being one of Peseiro’s favourites. Six points.
Bright Osayi Samuel, a great revelation under Peseiro who has knocked Ebuehi and Shehu Abdullahi into a cocked hat. His ability to win penalties or draw fouls in dangerous opposition areas are boons. He is also no slouch in his defensive sub-routines. A player capable of injecting flair into the Super Eagles. Eight points.
Ola Aina, a workaholic who is purposeful driving forward and dedicated when defending. Aina is a firm fan favourite who can introduce the odd moments of magic to the Super Eagles. Seven and a half points.
Zaidu Sanusi, his influence on the team has waned in recent times but his quality remains undeniable. Should Zaidu bring his magnum opus to play, his presence can be pivotal in Peseiro’s philosophy. Seven points.
Defenders, out of Ten.
William Troost Ekong, his leadership skills and passion for the national team are positives. His propensity for errors cannot be ignored as well as not particularly being one of Peseiro’s favourites. Six points.
Bright Osayi Samuel, a great revelation under Peseiro who has knocked Ebuehi and Shehu Abdullahi into a cocked hat. His ability to win penalties or draw fouls in dangerous opposition areas are boons. He is also no slouch in his defensive sub-routines. A player capable of injecting flair into the Super Eagles. Eight points.
Ola Aina, a workaholic who is purposeful driving forward and dedicated when defending. Aina is a firm fan favourite who can introduce the odd moments of magic to the Super Eagles. Seven and a half points.
Zaidu Sanusi, his influence on the team has waned in recent times but his quality remains undeniable. Should Zaidu bring his magnum opus to play, his presence can be pivotal in Peseiro’s philosophy. Seven points.
Bruno Onyemaechi, another revelation though untested in tournament football. He produced shades of eye catching performances for Nigeria with his pullouts recently. On the ball, Bruno is a beast but his defensive acumen will be tested massively in Ivory Coast. Six and a half points
Semi Ajayi, a committed centre back who is very lethal with headers in set pieces – in fact he scored a header for the Super Eagles recently. But he can be found slightly wanting defensively. A sense of place seems his problem at times and he is susceptible to being bullied by African strikers. Six and a half.
Calvin Bassey, a versatile defender who is still learning the ropes. He can be caught unawares at times and chemistry with his colleagues at the back needs to be polished. But his long balls are world class and his overall skills set makes him deserving of his place. More so Peseiro has faith in Bassey which is what is most important. Six and a half.
Chidozie Awaziem, making a return to the team, Awaziem’s versatility is his trump card. He brings a lot to the table with neat interceptions and clever runs into offensive areas. Highly experienced in international football and he seldom seems fazed by the occasion. But he is not to complete article. He has his fair share of error propensity and can be anonymous just when you start believing in him. Six and a half.
Kenneth Omeruo, old soldier never die. Omeruo is here for experience. Never really pacey in his heydays, Omeruo has slowed considerably. But his positional sense, physicality and overall awareness are suitable tasks on ground. He proved recently that he still has the legs, lungs and latitude for African football. Six points.
For me our defence is not without inescapable flaws. The fullbacks are decent going forward but can be found wanting defensively. Our centre backs all have errors in them are have cracked more often than not recently.
Zaidu Sanusi, his influence on the team has waned in recent times but his quality remains undeniable. Should Zaidu bring his magnum opus to play, his presence can be pivotal in Peseiro’s philosophy. Seven points.
Bruno Onyemaechi, another revelation though untested in tournament football. He produced shades of eye catching performances for Nigeria with his pullouts recently. On the ball, Bruno is a beast but his defensive acumen will be tested massively in Ivory Coast. Six and a half points
Semi Ajayi, a committed centre back who is very lethal with headers in set pieces – in fact he scored a header for the Super Eagles recently. But he can be found slightly wanting defensively. A sense of place seems his problem at times and he is susceptible to being bullied by African strikers. Six and a half.
Calvin Bassey, a versatile defender who is still learning the ropes. He can be caught unawares at times and chemistry with his colleagues at the back needs to be polished. But his long balls are world class and his overall skills set makes him deserving of his place. More so Peseiro has faith in Bassey which is what is most important. Six and a half.
Chidozie Awaziem, making a return to the team, Awaziem’s versatility is his trump card. He brings a lot to the table with neat interceptions and clever runs into offensive areas. Highly experienced in international football and he seldom seems fazed by the occasion. But he is not to complete article. He has his fair share of error propensity and can be anonymous just when you start believing in him. Six and a half.
Kenneth Omeruo, old soldier never die. Omeruo is here for experience. Never really pacey in his heydays, Omeruo has slowed considerably. But his positional sense, physicality and overall awareness are suitable tasks on ground. He proved recently that he still has the legs, lungs and latitude for African football. Six points.
For me our defence is not without inescapable flaws. The fullbacks are decent going forward but can be found wanting defensively. Our centre backs all have errors in them are have cracked more often than not recently.
Great insights as usual, Deo!
You missed out Osayi Samuel.
Thanks ALEKS
Bright Osayi Samuel, a great revelation under Peseiro who has knocked Ebuehi and Shehu Abdullahi into a cocked hat. His ability to win penalties or draw fouls in dangerous opposition areas are boons. He is also no slouch in his defensive sub-routines. A player capable of injecting flair into the Super Eagles. 8/10
Bright O Samuel, a great revelation under Peseiro who has knocked Ebuehi and Shehu Abdullahi into a cocked hat. His ability to win penalties or draw fouls in dangerous opposition areas are boons. He is also no slouch in his defensive subroutines. A player capable of injecting flair into the Super Eagles. Eight points.
Thanks Aleks
Please deo, bright is not better than all the players you have mentioned. He is crap in my books. A player that can’t last 90 mins. Not looking forward to them winning anything
Ola Aina, a workaholic who is purposeful driving forward and dedicated when defending. Aina is a firm fan favourite who can introduce the odd moments of magic to the Super Eagles. 7.5/10
Thanks ALEKS
Bright Osayi Samuel: a great revelation under Peseiro who has knocked Ebuehi and Shehu Abdullahi into a cocked hat. His ability to win penalties or draw fouls in dangerous opposition areas are boons. He is also no slouch in his defensive sub-routines. A player capable of injecting flair into the Super Eagles. 8/10
Bright Osayi Samuel, a great revelation under Peseiro who has knocked Ebuehi and Shehu Abdullahi into a cocked hat. His ability to win penalties or draw fouls in dangerous opposition areas are boons. He is also no slouch in his defensive sub-routines. A player capable of injecting flair into the Super Eagles. Eight points.
Ola Aina, a workaholic who is purposeful driving forward and dedicated when defending. Aina is a firm fan favourite who can introduce the odd moments of magic to the Super Eagles. Seven and a half points.
Anyone who played football knows we have only few solid and decent midfielders. If teams are allowed to name and go with 27players, We could have taken both Nwakali and Alhassan in a midfield 7man… either that or Nwakali and Dessers/Onuachu… Musa shouldn’t be there, Balogun and Akpom should have been on the list.
Peseiro seems stuck on starting only 2 midfielders per game. Even if you point a gun at him, he won’t play more than 2 at a time. Which is why he feels we need only 5 midfielders for the tournament!
I suggested the 3-4-3 to accommodate his fixation for 2 midfielders.
Peseiro played 4-3-3 in the last match akin to how Leicester City lines up, Pompei.
I will strongly urge Peseiro to work on perfecting the team’s competency in lining up in 4-3-3.
Just imagine, Uzoho in goal with Osayi Samuel, Ajayi,, Onyemaechi in front.
Then Ndidi will be the defensive midfielder to shield the back 4.
Aribo and Iwobi will be the 2 attacking midfielders.
Iheanacho plays left wing and Lookman gets the nod in right wing.
The centre forward position has no competition: Osimhen.
Obviously Simon comes in for Lookman, Chukwueze for Iheanacho and Musa for Aribo in a more withdrawn role due to experience.
This set up will be deadly.
*Calvin Bassey in defence*
Hi Deo,
I love your analysis but I beg to disagree with this lineup. In my opinion, I think 3-4-3 would be better. My reason is as follows:
With what I have seen so far, looking at the strength and weakness of the S/E and the choice of players the Coach has chosen, it is safe to say our best formation is 3-4-2-1/3-4-3.
These are the players to execute this without bias.
Defenders:
Awaizem-Ajayi/Ekong-Bassey
Aina-Iwobi-Ndidi-Zaidu/Moses.
Iheanacho-Victor-Lookman.
This formation will give us solidity at the defence I opted for Bassey and Awaizem on the flanks of the back 3 because they are relatively young and the fastest of the five we have, any of Ekong or Ajayi would do at the middle.
For the midfield, we all know Aina can produce some offensive replay and can also help the defence. For the left flank of the midfield, either Zaidu or Moses, depending on whether we want to attack or be more assured defensively. Iwobi and Ndidi will do well in the middle of the park.
For the attack, there should be flexibility allowing the 3 mentioned players to move from one position to another. All of them have goals in them.
This formation also means that we have 2 playmakers in Iwobi and Iheanacho, meaning that we will be able to create chances. Also, our wingbacks can roam forward to make crosses, if they do so, we will have at least 3 strikers already in the opponents’ box 18.
Hi Michael,
Would it surprise you if I say I agree with you 100%?
You see, those who know me well on this platform would say that I much rather favour 3-5-2 in attack (which becomes 5-3-2 in defence) for the Super Eagles.
Walahi with this formation I can stake my claim of us going all the way to the final.
This formation closely resembles your 3-4-3 (with 2 of your 4 midfielders functioning as fullbacks).
Imagine a back three of Bassey and Awaziem sandwiching Ajayi.
Then wingbacks of Moses Simon on the left and Osayi Samuel on the right.
Ndidi and Onyeka will be the defensive midfield pivot sitting behind Iwobi as the centre attacking midfielder.
In front Iheanacho partners Osimhen in what will be the deadliest strike force in the tournament.
I tell you this formation will be too difficult to breach and the attacking infrastructure of Iwobi, Iheanacho and Osihmen supported by deliveries from Simon, Osayi Samuel and Bassey will be unplayable.
But Peseiro is not wired that way, oh no! This sort of arrangement defeats his philosophy of attack attack attack!! Because the triangle of Iwobi-Ndidi-Frank need more time and persistent application to build up the ball to attacking positions.
So, expect Peseiro to go for any of 4-4-2, 4-2-4, 4-3-3 or Eguavoen’s 4-1-4-1.
Now, Eguavoen’s 4-1-4-1 is also quite intriguing. Imagine a back 4 Osayi Samuel, Ajayi, Onyemaechi and Bassey sitting behind Ndidi who as Aribo and Iwobi in between Lookman and Chukwueze with Osimhen the arrow head. That is another arrangement that whets my appetite because of the presence of a DM, 2 AMs, and a centre forward who doesn’t have to worry about feeding a strike partner!
It caused Ghana problems in the second half in Kumasi, leading to the penalty that VAR overruled (after our midfielders applied intolerable pressure to Ghanian back line). It also led to the goal in Abuja that was ruled out after Osimhen slightly strayed offside before ploughing the pitch to plant the ball in the net.
Midfielders:
Wilfred Ndidi: he has found a new lease of life as an attacking midfielder for Leicester. This augurs well for the Super Eagles as Peseiro plays only 2 midfielders expected to inject creativity. A supremely experienced midfielder in international and club football, Ndidi’s inclusion is a no-brainer. 8/10
Raphael Onyedika: a rookie at this level, passion,hunger and a desire to cement his Super Eagles status should help channel his unique talent to devastating effects. Fans yearn for fresh faces, in Raphael we have it, really good addition. 7/10.
Joe Aribo: he has been lightweight in Super Eagles midfield but his passing range and quality have noticeably improved. He often fails to justify his selection ahead of other prospects in the midfield for Nigeria but his versatile is a key advantage this time around as Peseiro has at times deployed him as a striker. 6/10
Frank Onyeka: it’s always difficult to place where he belongs in midfield. Not clinical enough in attacking midfielder and not robust enough in defensive midfield. He often struggles to impose himself on a game as he seems to fly under the midfield radar in-game. But he is quite unpredictable in a good way and he is a consummate workaholic. 5.5/10
Alex Iwobi: his influence in Nigeria’s midfield had weakened recently. His passion and dedication remain undiminished but the light midfield apparatus of Peseiro doesn’t always allow Iwobi to shine as he has to to far more with this ball than he is comfortable with. Still he is a solid addition to the squad due to his wealth of experience at this level. 8/10
Our midfield lacks creativity and ample mobility. They have struggled to interpret Peseiro’s vision but hopefully things will change in Ivory Coast.
All this midfielders are all below average players, please stop hyping them needlessly bro. The ones you think are creative, please rubbish.
Forwards:
Victor Osimhen: what else is there to say about Osihmen? The hottest property in African and world football at the moment, the Napoli juggernaut is expected to light up the tournament. He is one of the reasons why neutral observers across the globe will tune in to watch the tournament. My only worry: will he be able to shoulder the huge weight of expectations? 10/10
Victor Boniface: despite doing good numbers in Germany, Boniface is still finding his way in the turbulent world of national team football. His invitation meant other fan favorites like Onuachu, Akpom, Moffi and Dessers are excluded. All eyes will be on him to just his inclusion ahead of others. Still his addition might be a gamble but his club heroics cannot be overlooked. 7/10
Kelechi Iheanacho: having been in the national team since 2015, senior man is fast becoming senior citizen. Quite an enigma, you never know what to expect from Iheanacho. One minute he is Nwankwo Kanu, the next he is Antony Okpotu. For me Iheanacho is not overly reliable but when the spirit of football possesses him, he is truly magical. 7.5/10
Moses Simon: quite an accomplished winger, Simon is undoubtedly one of the marquee names in the squad. Although he lost his starting berth to Lookman, his impact off the bench have been electric. A highly skillful and technically endowed winger, Simon’s contributions are pivotal to how far Nigeria will go in the tournament. I just pray he doesn’t get carried away and starts dribbling aimlessly. 8/10
Ademola Lookman: he hasn’t been very effective on the flanks but time will come for him to shine. It remains to be seen whether he will retain his starting 11 slot but this winger is a big game player who will endeavour to bring no end of problems to Super Eagles opponents. 7/10
Ahmed Musa: quite a symbolic addition to the squad. I am of the personal opinion that at least one slot should be reserved for a largely non-playing symbolic player who has paid his dues and wants to hang on slightly beyond his sell-by date. Musa can still run, lay passes, track opponents and whip crosses. As a bit part player off the pitch and an influential dressing room presence, Musa is deserving of his slot from that perspective. 6/10
Umar Sadiq: some otherworldly goals in Spain recently rescued his Afcon chances. Umar is an arrow head who is expected to grow into the tournament. His talents are not in doubt though many fans feel excluded Moffi, Dessers, Onuachu and Akpom bring more to the table. 6/10
Samuel Chukwueze: I think he has lost his starting 11 slot to Iheanacho (who plays with greater intelligence). Chukwueze has been more of a miss than a hit for the Super Eagles recently. He seemed clueless with begging chances and he missed some ghastly sitters. Decision making has let him down and he has migrated from fan-favorite to fan-bugbear. His selection is controversial but he is a big name player playing in a big name club. 6/10
Our strike force misses far too many scoring chances. They are predictable and have shown to be able to be curtailed.
Fantastic list. Magnificent list. Glory defining moment of greatness list. We are winning the AFCON. Pray for Ivory Coast, EG and Guinea Bizza Bizza. Goals will Bizza Bizza in their nets come next week. A very balanced squad with experience and some exciting talents. A list of players from AC Milan, Napoli, Atalanta, Porto, Sociedad and Leverkusen, and others from PL will reclaim its position on the summit of African football again. VAMOS ARRIBBA SUPEREAGLES!!!!! Fly like an Eagle into Abidjan and take it.
That coach is very corrupt. After January, he would go. The two slots was given to two girls of the official. Shame to the coach for allowing this stupid thing. He can’t never win this AFCON.
Last Afcon we included Nwakili he couldn’t helped us now you people are clamoring for him so that they will drop Aribo that played all the qualifiers, tournament is all about team work not all about inviting all the players abroad mind you with two weeks training Nigeria will gill believe it or leave it
How many matches did he start, or is it when you give a player 20 mins, that he must show himself. Why didn’t the once that lasted 70 mins do something better.
Keep removing it you lifeless bastard son of a rabid dog lool!
Keep removing what?
This site is allergic to bullshit. Lol