Former Under 17 Golden Boy Kelechi Nwakali and Sporting Lagos goalkeeper Christian Nwoke are the surprise names in Nigeria’s provisional list for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) starting in less than a month, www.aclsports.com reports.
Nwakali last featured for the Super Eagles at the last AFCON tournament in Cameroon almost two years ago but he can now hope for a repeat after Nigeria head coach Jose Peseiro found him worthy of a place in his 50-man provisional list.
Nwakali has played in every of his current side Chaves’ league game in the Portuguese top division this term, contributing two assists in thirteen league games and ACLSports sources say, playing in Peseiro’s home country has helped sway the coach to look into his direction.
Apart from the inclusion of Nwakali, Sporting Lagos shot-stopper Nwoke was also included in the list which we scooped from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as Peseiro intends to overhaul the goalkeeping department of the team ahead of the tournament.
Nwoke is one of three home based players in the squad which had no place for the disinterested Maduka Okoye nor the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL)’s most in-form goalkeeper Kingdom Osayi of Doma United.
Still on omissions, Peseiro also overlooked back-to-form Glasgow Rangers centre back Leon Balogun, nor did he find a place for one of Nigeria’s best centre backs in Europe this season; Igoh Ogbu of Slavia Prague.
Another interesting omission in the provisional list was Belgium based forward Gift Orban who was invited for Nigeria’s international games back in September but was not fielded due to an alleged injury. This omission might mean that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) are unwilling to gamble with his controversial international status.
The quartet of captain Ahmed Musa, vice-captain William Troost-Ekong, Zaidu Sanusi and Paul Onuachu who have not been part of the Super Eagles’ recent engagements were all included in the provisional list which must be pruned down to at most twenty-seven (27) players by January 3, 2024, ten days to the opening match.
Nigeria will face Equatorial Guinea in their first group match of the 2023 AFCON on Sunday, January 14, 2024 at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Ebimpe, Abidjan.
Ekong and balogun should be on that list ….. otherwise we may be embarrassed at that event
Nff seems cursed