'Akpom is not available for this camp' - Peseiro on the omission of Arsenal product from squad  

Arsenal's Hale End Academy product Chuba Akpom remains in the international wilderness, with Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro not calling him up for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Sierra Leone. 

Akpom mustered 28 goals in thirty eight appearances for Middlesbrough in the regular season and finished the campaign as the top marksman in England's second tier. 

Of the twenty three players Peseiro has named in his squad list to face Sierra Leone, no player bettered Akpom's figures in the league alone, including Serie A's top scorer with 26 goals, Victor Osimhen.

Akpom trained with the Super Eagles in London six years ago before a canceled friendly against Burkina Faso. 

It is known that the striker was angling for a call-up to the Super Eagles during the tenure of Gernot Rohr but he wasn't in the plans of the German as his form wasn't too great to attract the attention of Nigeria's coaching staff. 

Peseiro revealed that Akpom stood no chance of getting an invitation for the ongoing camp due to bureaucratic reasons. 

"Akpom is not available for this camp because of some bureaucracy." Peseiro said in a brief statement to reporters. 

Six  players born abroad were named in Nigeria's latest squad. They are William Troost-Ekong, Calvin Bassey, Kevin Akpoguma, Semi Ajayi, Joe Aribo and Ademola Lookman.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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