Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle listed 23 players for his team’s upcoming international friendlies against Iran and Jordan, reports Completesports.com.
Chelle picked team captain Wilfred Ndidi, Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi and Atletico Madrid winger Ademola Lookman in the squad.
Chelle has also called Italy-based goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, defender Oluwasemilogo Ajayi, midfielder Frank Onyeka, and forwards Simon Moses, Samuel Chukwueze, Akor Adams and Paul Onuachu.
Scotland-based defender Emmanuel Oluwasegun Fernandez is called up for the first time, as are Germany-based forward Philip Otele and KRC Genk of Belgium’s Collins Yira Sor, a former junior international.
The Super Eagles will take on Iran in Antalya, Turkey on Friday, 27 March (with kick off set for 4pm local time), and then the Jordan on Tuesday, 31 March (with kick off set for 8pm local time).
Read Also:Super Eagles Friendlies Against Iran, Jordan Moved To Turkey
Originally scheduled for the 17,000-capacity Amman International Stadium and the 62,000-capacity King Abdullah Sports City Stadium (also in Amman), the games had to be moved to a new venue following the outbreak of military conflict in the Middle East.
Full List
Goalkeepers: Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Adeleye Adebayo (Volos FC, Greece); Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus)
Defenders: Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (Hull City, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Igoh Ogbu (Slavia Prague, Czech Republic); Emmanuel Fernandez (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland)
Midfielders: Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Coventry FC, England); Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (SS Lazio, Italy)
Forwards: Ademola Lookman (Atletico Madrid, Spain); Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham FC, England); Simon Moses (Paris FC, France); Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla FC, Spain); Paul Onuachu (Trabzonspor AS, Turkey); Akor Adams (Sevilla FC, Spain); Philip Otele (Hamburger SV, Germany); Collins Yira Sor (KRC Genk, Belgium)
By Adeboye Amosu
16 Comments
I told you all that osimhen is too pompous…
He declined invitation sent to him for these friendly games
So he is now too big for friendly games abi?? Smh…
Osimhen has an injury
His injury was after the list… just yesterday night…before the list, when they were compiling the names was he injured? No!!!!
One moment, that lout wants Osimhen banned from the national team till he apologizes to Finidi, the next moment, he is gnashing his teeth because Osimhen is not available…….LMAOoo.
And oh yes…..Osimhen is bigger than friendlies against Iran and Jordan. There is a certain Paul Onuachu (the greatest) who has been huffing and puffing in the national team for over half a decade now…….let him have his time in the sun……afterall, Osimhen is not all that good………LMAOooo
Good list
Thanks
Creative midfielders needed in this team..
Abraham Marcos is doing really well in Portugal top division.
Abraham can add value to the team.
Okoye Mokoye. You are far better than others. Welcome back. Heaven bless Okoye and previous renegade Super Eagles goalkeepers.
Defender Chibuike Nwaiwu should have been on this list.
He has recovered from injury and has walked right back into Trabzonspor’s starting lineup.
Coach Chelle should make sure that his criteria for invitation is based on merit.
And by the way, that boy Adarabioyo should be no where near the national team.
Enough of his shenanigans.
I expected to see Rafiu Durosinmi of Pisa SC in Italy, Bamidele Yusuf of Ferencvarosi TC in Hungary and Chibuike Nwaiwu of Trabzonspor in Turkey.
Chibuike Nwaiwu of Trabzonspor in Turkey and Emmanuel Olusegun Opeyemi Frnandez of Glasgow Rangers in Scotland are the future of the Super Eagles defence. The pair will make a terrific central defense combo in our national team going forward.
With the retirement of the “Oyinbo Wall ” (Leon Balogun and William Troost Ekong) ,and Kenneth Omeruo as well as the ripe ages of the duo of Semi Ajayi and Chiedozie Awaziem,we need Nwaiwu and Fernandez to compliment the efforts of Calvin Bassey and Igoh Ogbu.
Olisah Ndah, Jordan Torunarigha,Kevin Akpoguma, Gabriel Osho and Benjamin Tanimu have all had their chances to impress in Super Eagles colours,but they did not cover themselves in glory .
There is also a certain,Vince Osuji at Club Brugge of Belgium and Akpe Victory,a very young defender at Zalaegerszegi TE of Hungary.
In the midfield,Coach Eric Chelle should also run the rule on Anthony Dennis of Goztepe SK in Turkey,Onuche Ogbelu of Esperance in Tunisia and Tom Dele Bashiru ( Fisayo Dele Bashiru’s brother) at Genclerbirligi in Turkey in subsequent fixtures involving the Super Eagles.
Honestly, I see no reason why Chelle would still invite the likes of Bassey, Iwobi, Ndidi and Lookman for friendlies against the likes of Jordan and Iran……what for…? To prove what….??? When there are hoards of young players ready for auditioning as you have highlighted above.
This are the type of games where the likes of Ogbu, Akinsanmiro, Onyedika and debutants such as Fernandez, Otele, Durosinmi and the likes are meant to be thrown in the deep to start getting used to the demands of top level international football ahead of bigger challenges to come.
We still don’t have a replacement for Iwobi yet, so an Ebenezer and Tom Dele Bashiru would have been given the opportunity to stake a shout to rival Iwobi.
This is practically our Afcon squad bar a few omissions. Is this how Chelle wants to prepare for 2030 when only few of the 23 listed above will be less than 30 years old by 2030….???
You’re correct. Maybe he doesn’t want to lose. And that is a bad way to take it if truly he wants to prepare for the future
Hahahaha……..he doesn’t want to lose…..? He should rather be scared of failing again to meet the targets set for him by his employers……LMAOoo.
What’s the point of piling up inconsequential wins while failing to hit the bull’s eye when it matters the most? 0/3 is not good on his or anybody’s CV.
This team still struggles to win without Osimhen and struggles to play without Iwobi. The current set has peaked in my own estimation, and he should be concerned about all of that, rather than inconsequential wins.
Win ratios will only get you shortlisted for interviews, your proven records on delivering on set targets is what eventually get you the job, except of course your employer is (or like) the NFF.
Its good to continue using the core of your squad and introduce new players gradually to maintain and improve understanding and team balance.
Apparently in official games coaches are cautious with trying new systems but friendlies like this are platform to experiment.Surely,more new players will get their opportunity as we explore new Fifa windows…
So after a qualification campaign, a playoff tournament, and an AFCON tournament, Chelle’s “core”, who have been playing together since the days of Rohr, still need Jordan and Iran to understand themselves…..? I guess he has something to prove with them that we haven’t yet seen.
Will the heavens fall if he settles for this selection from that “core” who have been more of fringe players (the likes of Maduka Okoye, Adeleye Adebayo, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Bruno Onyemaechi, Zaidu Sanusi, Igoh Ogbu, Frank Onyeka, Raphael Onyedika, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Samuel Chukwueze, Chidera Ejuke, Paul Onuachu, Akor Adams), and the addition of more young budding ones making a shout for a place in the national team.
Its Iran and Jordan we are playing in pre-world cup friendlies, there will be less to gain using the same old faces than using new, younger players. Games like these are what throw up a new youngster into national consciousness, rather than seeing an old guy doing what we’ve all known them to do before. A Yira Sor scoring vs Iran is of more value to our football than a Lookman doing so. An Akinsanmiro providing 2 assists in both games gives us more hope for the future than an Iwobi doing the same. A Fernandez picking up a MOM award on his debut bodes well for us as a nation than a Calvin Bassey doing so.
There will be way too many 30-year-olds in the team by 2030 if Chelle’s preoccupation at this point is still about “improving understanding and team balance”. If he has learnt any lessons so far, we need more of new alternatives and tactical flexibility now than balance. We cannot keep struggling in key games simply because our more tactically intelligent opponents have marked out Iwobi or because Osimhen is not on the pitch.
The same set of players have been dominated the team with two consecutive World cup qualification failures, from AFCON bronze, to second round, to AFCON silver, back to AFCON bronze..
There is no better time to rebuild the team than now..
It is only a football organization led by corrupt individuals and imaginary technical committee that acts this way.
By the way, why is Alebiosi not involved ..
We should see more of Felix Agu(SV Werder Bremen, Germany),Ryan Alebiosu(Black irn Rovers, England) and Tochukwu Nnadi(Olympique Marseille,France,). I also.observed that Benjamin Fredrick (,FSV Fender, Belgium) has recovered from the injury that stopped him from featuring at the last AFCON in Morocco. So why are they not in the mix for the international riendlies? One of the core essence of friendlies is to run the rule on new options and fringe players.