By Uzor Odigbo
Super Eagles’ Technical Adviser, Gernot Rohr, has extended invitations to a handful of new players including captain of the most recent Nigeria U17 squad, Samson Tijani, for next month’s friendly matches against the Elephants of Cote d’Ivoire and the Carthage Eagles of Tunisia, scheduled for Austria.
In a release made available to TheNicheng.com, other first time call ups to the Super Eagles are Portugal based wing back, Zaidu Sanusi, as well as the duo of Frank Onyeka and Chidera Ejuke.
However former U17 World Cup-winning goalkeeper, Dele Alampasu, returned to the group, as well as midfielder, Mikel Agu.
Napoli FC of Italy new signing, Victor Osimhen, is also listed among the 25 players.
In what would be the Super Eagles’ first games of the year owing to the coronavirus pandemic, Rohr also listed top names like Ahmed Musa, Kenneth Omeruo, William Ekong, and Wilfred Ndidi for the double-header.
Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, now in The Netherlands, is heading to Austria as well as the England-based forward, Kelechi Iheanacho.
The Super Eagles, now ranked 29th in the world and third in Africa, will take on the Elephants on October 9 and four days later will engage the Carthage Eagles, who are second in Africa in the rankings.
Both games have been arranged by the Nigeria Football Federation to prepare the Eagles for the next rounds of 2022 AFCON qualifiers, home and away against Sierra Leone in November.
The full list of invited players are as follows
Goalkeepers: Dele Alampasu (FK Ventspils, Latvia); Matthew Yakubu (SKF Sered, Slovakia); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
Defenders: Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Chidozie Awaziem (FC Boavista, Portugal); William Ekong (Udinese FC, Italy); Olaoluwa Aina (Fulham FC, England); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal)
Midfielders: Mikel Agu (Vitoria Guimaraes, Portugal); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Frank Onyeka (FC Midtjylland, Denmark); Oghenekaro Etebo (Galatasary SK, Turkey); Samson Tijani (TSV Hartberg, Austria)
Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Al Nassr, Saudi Arabia); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Victor Osimhen (SSC Napoli, Italy); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Cyril Dessers (KRC Genk, Belgium); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Samuel Kalu (Girondins Bordeaux, France); Chidera Ejuke (CSKA Moscow, Russia)
Standby players also include… Abdullahi Shehu (Bursaspor, Turkey); Ramon Azeez (Granada CF, Spain); Joshua Maja (Girondins Bordeaux, France); Henry Onyekuru (AS Monaco, France); Tyronne Ebuehi (FC Twente, Netherlands).