Nigeria squad announcement : Eight things to note on the Super Eagles' 28-player AFCON roster

Published: December 25, 2021

The Nigeria Football Federation announced the Super Eagles squad list for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday with four goalkeepers, nine defenders, five midfielders and ten strikers making the cut.

Allnigeriasoccer.com's editorial staff brings you eight things to note on the roster.

1) As at Saturday, December 25, 2021, the 28-player roster holds an average age of 25.71 years with eight players aged 23 or younger. They are Maduka Okoye, Francis Uzoho, Olisa Ndah, Kelechi Nwakali, Frank Onyeka, Chidera Ejuke, Victor Osimhen and Samuel Chukwueze.

2) Twelve players including Kelechi Iheanacho, Maduka Okoye and Joe Aribo are in line to make their debuts at the Africa Cup of Nations. Sixteen were part of the Super Eagles squad to the last tournament in Egypt.

3) A veteran of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, Ahmed Musa is by far the most capped player on the roster with 102 caps, followed by another AFCON veteran Kenneth Omeruo with 54 caps.

4) The 28 players represent a total of twenty-four different clubs with Watford, Leicester City, Glasgow Rangers and AC Omonia leading the way having contributed two players each.

5) Goalkeepers John Noble and Daniel Akpeyi, defender Olisa Ndah and striker Odion Ighalo make up the non-European based contingent.

6) Six players have the started the final of an U17 World Cup : Kenneth Omeruo (2009), Kelechi Nwakali, (2015) Taiwo Awoniyi (2013), Victor Osimhen (2015), Samuel Chukwueze (2015) and Kelechi Iheanacho (2013).

7) Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is one of three players who have made six consecutive appearances for the national team since the start of this season, the others being Moses Simon and Jamilu Collins.

8) The group features four Olympians in Akpeyi, Troost-Ekong, Umar Sadiq and Shehu.

Nigeria's final AFCON squad

Goalkeepers: Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs/RSA), Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia/CYP), Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam/NED), John Noble (Enyimba)

Defenders: William Ekong (Watford/ENG), Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes/SPA), Leon Balogun (Rangers FC/SCO), Shehu Abdullahi (AC Omonia/CYP), Chidozie Awaziem (Alanyaspor/TUR), Jamilu Collins (SC Paderborn/GER), Ola Aina (Torino/ITA), Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto/POR), Olisa Ndah (Orlando Pirates/RSA)

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City/ENG), Kelechi Nwakali (SD Huesca/SPA), Chidera Ejuke (CSKA Moscow/RUS), Frank Onyeka (Brentford/ENG), Joe Aribo (Rangers FC/SCO)

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk/TUR), Moses Simon (FC Nantes/FRA), Odion Ighalo (Al Shabab/KSA), Taiwo Awoniyi (Union Berlin/GER), Alex Iwobi (Everton/ENG), Victor Osimhen (Napoli/ITA), Sadiq Umar (UD Almeria/SPA), Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City/ENG), Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal CF/SPA), Emmanuel Dennis (Watford/ENG)

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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