Nwagua, Lokosa on standby as Rohr invites 23 players for South Africa, Uganda ties

By Taofeek Babalola

Kano Pillars duo of Nyima Nwagua and Junior Lokosa were among the five standby players named for the Super Eagles African Cup of Nations qualifiers against South Africa and Uganda friendly, Sportinglens.blogspot.com reports.

Apart from Nwagua and Lokosa another Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) player in the standby list included Enyimba’s Sunday Adetunji. Henry Onyekuru, Chidozie Awaziem completed the standby list.

The team’s head coach Genot Rohr invited 23 players which included two home-based players, Ikechukwu Ezenwa and debutant Ifeanyi Ubah defender, Olamilekan Adeleye.

Arsenal winger Alex Iwobi and Odion Ighalo lead Nigeria's 23-man squad.

The team includes nine strikers, three midfielders, eight defenders and three goalkeepers.  

Villarreal starlet Samuel Chukwueze got his maiden invitation to the team like Adeleye.

Mikel Agu and Victor Osimhen returned to the team to prosecute November 17 and 20 games.

The team’s captain John Obi Mikel was left out of the squad once again. The Tianjin Teda midfielder has yet to return to national team assignment since Nigeria crashed out from the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Also, Ogenyi Onazi and Shehu Abdullahi were missing from the list. The duo sustained injuries during the last qualifiers and returned to their club.

Nigeria sit top of Group E with nine points from four games while Stuart Baxter's side are second in the group, trailing by two points.

The Super Eagles will look to get a victory over Bafana Bafana having lost the first leg 2-0 in Uyo.

The game is billed for November 17 at the FNB Stadium and three days later, the three-time African champions entertain the Cranes of Uganda at the Stephen Keshi Stadium, Asaba.

THE FULL LIST

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (Elche FC, Spain); Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Enyimba FC); Daniel Akpeyi (Chippa United, South Africa)

Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Adeleye Aniyikaye (FC IfeanyiUbah); Semi Ajayi (Rotherham United, England); Bryan Idowu (Lokomotiv Moscow, Russia); William Ekong (Udinese FC, Italy); Leon Balogun (Brighton & Hove Albion, England); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany)

Midfielders: Oghenekaro Etebo (Stoke City FC, England); John Ogu (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel); Mikel Agu (Vitoria Setubal FC, Portugal)

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Al Nasr FC, Saudi Arabia); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Moses Simon (Levante FC, Spain); Victor Osimhen (Royal Charleroi SC, Belgium); Odion Ighalo (Changchun Yatai, China); Alex Iwobi (Arsenal FC, England); Samuel Kalu (Bordeaux FC, France); Isaac Success (Watford FC, England); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain)

Standby: Henry Onyekuru (Galatasaray SK, Turkey); Chidozie Awaziem (FC Porto, Portugal); Nyima Nwagua (Kano Pillars FC); Sunday Adetunji (Enyimba FC); Junior Lokosa (Kano Pillars FC)