Former Nigerian defender, Waidi Akanni says he’s optimistic the Nigeria Premier League (NPL) players have what it takes to overcome Sao Tome in the final group game of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The Nigeria have already secured their spot in the AFCON tournament next year following a thrilling 3-2 victory over Sierra Leone in Monrovia, Liberia during the fifth match-day.
The encounter with São Tomé presents an ideal platform for the Super Eagles to showcase the depth of talent within Nigeria’s footballing ranks. It will also provide valuable insights for the coaching staff ahead of the upcoming AFCON tournament, as they strive to assemble a formidable squad capable of achieving success on the continental stage.
Speaking with Completesports.com, Akanni said that the Sao Tome game should provide an opportunity for Peseiro to present a quality NPL players capable of holding their own against them.
“I think this is a game Peseiro and his technical crew should look inward and present a formidable home based Eagles capable of facing Sao Tome for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
“There is no need to unleash all our foreign base players since Nigeria have qualified for the tournament. I am very optimistic the NPL players can get the victory if given the necessary motivation.”
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COMMENTS
Mr, Akanni is actually right. A well-groomed core of home-based players would beat Sao Tome and Principe but it won’t be beneficial to our Nations Cup and World Cup qualifying preparations.
My suggestion would be, to give Divine Nwachukwu of BendelInsurance game time in our next match. Our midfield needs all the help it can get. Use the match to integrate players like Chijioke Aniagboso, Igoh Ogbu, Benjamin Fredricks, Gift Orban, Alhassan Yusuf and Victor Boniface into the team and provide competition and youthful vigor in the process.
WHICH HOMEBASE PLAYERS. WHY WE ALWAYS LIKE TO BE DECEIVING OURSELVES CONCERNING THE ISSUE OF HOMEBASE PLAYERS IN SUPER EAGLE TEAM. HOMEBASE EAGLES THAT CANNOT QUALIFY FOR ORDINARY CHAN AND U-23 AFCON COMPETITION, WILL NOW BE THE ONE TO INVITED TO SUPER EAGLE’S TEAM WHEN WORLD CUP QUALIFIER WILL SOON START BY NOVEMBER.
*** IAM NOT SAYING HOMEBASE PLAYERS SHOULD NOT BE INVITED TO SUPER EAGLE. THE PURPOSE WHY CAF ORGANIZED CHAN COMPETITION IS TO CREATE AN AVENUE FOR DEVELOPMENT OF HOMEBASE TEAM IN EACH COUNTRY. OUR HOMEBASE TEAM SHOULD ALWAYS TRYING TO BE QUALIFY FOR THIS COMPETITION. ANY HOMEBASE PLAYERS CLAIM TO BE A GOOD PLAYER SHOULD GO & PROVE HIMSELF FIRST IN CHAN COMPETITION. AND THEN, INVITED TO SUPER EAGLE TO FIGHT FOR SHIRT.
** AS WORLD CUP QUALIFIER IS AROUND THE CORNER, THE SAO TOME GAME SHOULD BE USED AS TEST GAME FOR PAST UNINVITED PLAYERS THAT DID WELL IN EUROPE, TOGETHER WITH FEW GOOD HOMEBASE PLAYERS WITH OSIMHEN BE THEIR CAPTAIN (so that he will stand a chance to become Higher Goalscorer and WIN 2023 AFRICAN FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR).
*** PLAYERS TO BE INVITED SHOULD BE THE LIKE OF :
** SEBASTIAN-OSIGWE, OLORUNLEKE,
OSOCHIMA
** EBUEHI, JORDAN-TORUNARIGHA
** BRUNO-ONYEMAECHI, DURU
** ONYEDIKA, ALHASSAN
** VALENTINE, AJAYI
** GIFT-ORBAN, SARKI(U-20)
** CHUBA-AKPOM, BONIFACE
** OSIMHEN (CAPTAIN), DESSERS
** EJUKE, LOOKMAN
Good to mention Sabastien Osigwe. ln truth, he ought to be our no. 1 goalie by now bt for the myopic tendencied of our coaches and the scouting team. Sabastien is also a modern goalkeeper who is so good wth his foot as well.
Again, we already have home based players in the team if one is not forgetting, bt using an entirely home based team is not going to work bcos we are building the team for the Nations’ cup coming up in Januaruary in Cote d’viore and, it is always very important to know where we are at each point in time. A full team home based players will disrupt the rebuilding exercse and the synergy slightly noticeabe in the team therefore, they shld wait for the CHAN.
Players to be invited in my opinion are:
Goalkeepers:
Sabaatien Osigwe, Adeleye and Sochima.
Defence:
Ebuehi, Osayi-Samuel, Onyemaehi Bruno, Bassey, Gabriel Osho, Aiwu, Adebariayo ( if he is ready), Jordan Torunarigha and Ugoh Ogbu of Slavia Praha.
Midfield:
Raphael Onyedikachi,Alhassan Yusuf, Valentine Nwachukwu, Alex Iwobi, Ovie Ejeria, etc
Attack:
Tella (Southompton fc), Chiderah Ejuke,Victor Boniface,Chuba Akpom, Victor Osimhen(C), Gift Orban, etc.
Ifeanyi I think you forgot Daga and Kalib Okoli Atalanta player who has Italian passport, but he sowre allegiance for Super Eagles.
All of una dey talk nonsense why not carry Chris green put for GK,Ade Olalekan put for midfield, Ibrahim Gusau put am for number 9 against Sao Tome and Principe then we go win 15-0
To the first I individual, yr are small minded and definitely clueless. I say grow up and stop being negative.
My Nigerian brothers if the home based players How come Nigerian Clubs are not doing well in the CAF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE and How many triumphs has the home based Eagles won?
stop being delusional face facts.
Home Base Home Base.. Home Base kill all of una dere mumu people. Instead of telling Home Base Eagles to dominate Home first before World they are there decieving themselves. No shakes na.
Mumu Gasau he will be the first to go and fly to watch Osimhen play a Scudetto winning match Europe, To criminally take credit for Osimhen in the World Media but the world doesn’t know behind the scenes he and his Ponds (Ex Internationals) are systematically trying to Discourage Nigerian players for reaching for the pinnacle in The best and highest Football playing level in the World (Europe).
So doing making it hard for Nigeria to discover More Osimhen’s because Osimhens are there in The Academies but a quality like Osimhen is trained and perfected in Europe not Yeye NPFL.
Man the level of insanity and outright negligence and denial by these people is Actually so crazy it has become laughable.
I mean Whaaaaaaat!!!!