2022 World Cup playoff : Eight things to note on Super Eagles starting lineup against Ghana

Published: March 29, 2022

Augustine Eguavoen has announced his starting lineup for the highly anticipated 2022 World Cup playoff against the Black Stars of Ghana at the MKO Abiola Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Allnigeriasoccer.com has compiled eight things to note on the Super Eagles starting lineup :

1) The average age of the starting lineup is 25.18 years, with Calvin Bassey the youngest player at 22 and his Rangers teammate Leon Balogun the oldest at 33.

2) The lineup features five changes from the eleven that started against Ghana in Kumasi, with Francis Uzoho, William Troost-Ekong, Leon Balogun, Ola Aina, Joe Aribo and Victor Osimhen retaining their places. The other five starters came off the bench in the second half.

3) Three British-based players are making their starting debuts for the national team : Ademola Lookman (Leicester City), Emmanuel Dennis (Watford) and Calvin Bassey (Rangers).

4) Victor Osimhen is the only player named in the eleven to have started the previous six matches played by the national team in 2022 World Cup qualifying.

5) Five of the outfield players have scored at least one international goal for the Super Eagles : Troost-Ekong, Balogun, Aribo, Etebo, Osimhen.

6) Making his 59th appearance for the Super Eagles, Troost-Ekong has joined 1980 AFCON-winning goalkeeper Emmanuel Okala as the fourteenth most capped Nigerian player in history. Was previously on 58 caps with Kenneth Omeruo, Henry Nwosu and Yakubu Aiyegbeni.

7) With ten international goals to his name, Victor Osimhen is one goal shy of hitting the top 20 scorers of all time for the Super Eagles.

8) Four players started Nigeria's last game at the World Cup : Uzoho, Troost-Ekong, Balogun, Etebo.

Nigeria starting lineup : Uzoho, Aina, Troost-Ekong, Balogun, Bassey; Etebo, Onyeka, Aribo; Dennis, Osimhen, Lookman

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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