AFCON qualifiers: Rohr invites Osimhen, Aribo for Benin, Lesotho clashes

Gernot Rohr, Super Eagles coach, has invited John Noble and Zaidu Sanusi of Enyimba and FC Porto respectively in his 24-man squad for this month’s AFCON 2021 qualifiers against Benin Republic and Lesotho.

The list, which was released on Tuesday, also includes Ahmed Musa, William Troost-Ekong and Kenneth Omeruo.

.@NGSuperEagles list of invited players for #Afcon2021Q against #Benin and #Lesotho.#BENNGA#NGALES #SoarSuperEagles #Team9jaStrong pic.twitter.com/BrDEvWAreA

— The NFF 🇳🇬 (@thenff) March 9, 2021

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Others are Maduka Okoye, Leon Balogun, Olaoluwa Aina, Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, and Victor Osimhen in the list containing three goalkeepers, eight defenders, five midfielders, and eight forwards.

Noble, the people’s elephant heroic shot-stopper in the CAF Confederation Cup tie against Rivers United, and Sadiq Umar of Almeria FC, will be joining the senior side for the first time.

Nigeria, top of the Group E log with eight points (one ahead of Benin Republic and five more than third-placed Sierra Leone), tackle the Squirrels away at the Stade Charles de Gaulle in Porto Novo on March 27.

The three-time African champion will thereafter lock horns with the Crocodiles of Lesotho at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos three days later.

Both are the concluding games of the 2021 AFCON qualifying series.

See the full list below:

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (APOEL Nicosia, Cyprus); John Noble (Enyimba FC); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands)

Defenders: Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Chidozie Awaziem (FC Boavista, Portugal); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Fulham FC, England); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Tyronne Ebuehi (FC Twente, The Netherlands)

Midfielders: Oghenekaro Etebo (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Abdullahi Shehu (Omonia Nicosa, Cyprus); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England)

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Unattached); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Sadiq Umar (Almeria FC, Spain); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Victor Osimhen (Napoli FC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Samuel Kalu (FC Girondins Bordeaux, France); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France)

Standby: Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa); Henry Onyekuru (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Peter Olayinka (Slavia Praha, Czech Republic); Terem Moffi (FC Lorient, France); Paul Onuachu (KRC Genk, Belgium); Michael Olise (Reading FC, England); Adekunle Adeleke (Abia Warriors)