Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, has listed five home base players as part of his provisional squad list for the upcoming African Cup of Nations.
Chelle dropped a list of 54 players which will be streamlined to a mandated 25 man squad eligible for the competition, as ruled by the Confederation of African Football, Association, CAF.
The Malian national included notable players in Victor Osimehn, Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze and Alex Iwobi, to mention few, but also added five players plying their trade in the Nigerian Professional Football League, NPFL, giving then the chance to jostle for a spot in the list for the 35th Africa Cup of Nations finals to be held in Morocco from later this year.
Chisom Orji, who plies his trade with Warri Wolves, Abdulrasheed Shehu of Niger Tornadoes, Abia Warriors defender, Adekunle Adeleke, Ebenezer Harcourt, Sporting Lagos goalkeeper and Ekeson Okojie of Nasarawa United, all made the list to join the foreign based players in a fight to represent the country at the competition.
Captain William Troost-Ekong, Wilfred Ndidi, and Stanley Nwabali, Maduka Okoye, Zaidu Sanusi, Calvin Bassey, Semi Ajayi, Frank Onyeka, Alex Iwobi, Raphael Onyedika, Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze, Simon Moses, and Chidera Ejuke, Amas Obasogie, Maduka Okoya, Adebayo Adeleye, Francis Uzoho and Ebenezer Harcourt also made the list released on Tuesday.
The Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, disclosed that the final squad will be selected in the coming days. It added that the Super Eagles are due to open their training camp in Egypt on December 10, where they are expected to play warm-up matches before the competition begins on 21 December 21
Nigeria have been drawn in Group C alongside Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda as they look to mount a strong challenge in Morocco.
FULL LIST:
Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania); Maduka Okoya (Udinese FC, Italy); Adebayo Adeleye (Volos FC, Greece); Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus); Ebenezer Harcourt (Sporting Lagos);
Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood, Saudi Arabia); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (Hull City, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece); Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes FC, France); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Igoh Ogbu (Slavia Prague, Czech Republic); Felix Agu (Werder Bremen, Germany); Ryan Alebiosu (Blackburn Rovers, England); Adekunle Adeleke (Abia Warriors);
Midfielders: Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA); Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Christantus Uche (Crystal Palace, England); Tochukwu Nnadi (Zulte Waregem, Belgium); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (SS Lazio, Italy); Ebenezer Akinsanmiro (Pisa SC, Italy); Usman Muhammed (Ironi Tiberias, Israel); Peter Agba (Maccabi Haifa, Israel); Tom Dele-Bashiru (Gençlerbirligi SK, Turkey)
Forwards: Ademola Lookman (Atalanta BC, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham FC, England); Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Simon Moses (Paris FC, France); Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla FC, Spain); Tolu Arokodare (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England); Akor Adams (Sevilla FC, Spain); Olakunle Olusegun (Pari Nizhny Novgorod, Russia); Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad, Spain); Kelechi Iheanacho (Celtic Glasgow, Scotland); Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest, England); Victor Boniface (Werder Bremen, Germany); Paul Onuachu (Trabzonspor AS, Turkey); Terem Moffi (OGC Nice, France); Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Cyriel Dessers (Panathinaikos FC, Greece); Abdulrasheed Shehu (Niger Tornadoes); Rafiu Durosinmi (Viktoria Plzen, Czech Republic); Ekeson Okorie (Nasarawa United); Chisom Orji (Warri Wolves); Chukwubuikem Ikwuemesi (OH Leuven, Belgium); Philip Otele (FC Basel, Switzerland); Salim Fago Lawal (NK Istra 1961 (Croatia); Emmanuel Michael (Linzer Athletik SK, Austria)
