Ihefu FC of Tanzania player, Benjamin Tanimu, and Luton Star defender Gabriel Osho, are among a 27-man Super Eagles squad for a double header friendly games against Ghana and Mali, Completesports.com reports.
The two friendly games are billed for Marrakech Morocco on 22 (vs Ghana) and 26 March (vs Mali).
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) unveiled the squad on Saturday.
Before joining Ihefu FC, Tianimu featured for Bendel Insurance in the Nigerian league and just earned his first call up.
England-born Osho also got his first invitation to the Eagles.
Leicester midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, who missed the AFCON 2023, in-form striker Cyriel Dessers, Tyronne Ebuehi, Jamilu Collins, Taiwo Awoniyi are making a return to the team.
Also Read: Amuneke Expresses Interest In Super Eagles Coaching Job
Notable names on the list are Victor Osimhen, Alex Iwobi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Stanley Nwabali, Francis Uzoho, Ojo Olorunleke, Calvin Bassey, Semi Ajayi, Bruno Onyemaechi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Kenneth Omeruo and Chidozie Awaziem.
Others are Sadiq Umar, Raphael Onyedika, Alhassan Yusuf, Moses Simon, Ademola Lookman, Nathan Tella and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.
Joe Aribo and Samuel Chukwueze were not invited for the friendly games while William Troost-Ekong and Ola Aina are injured.
46 Comments
Benjamin Tianimu is the best defender in the Super Eagles team. He is far better than the other ones. This is a good list. Nigeria will win these games easily. The only issue is that Joe Aribo is absent, he must be recalled immediately to replace Alhassan Yusuf.
Omo, relax cuz is GHANA
We ll molest our WIVES lmaooo
Hahahaha @Selfmade. I love it’s a friendly though. But I’m banking on Nigeria to win. Problem is I don’t know who’s the coach. You guys got a new coach yet after dismissing Chris Houghton?
How about Gift Otban?
I hope the two defenders will get a chance to play in friendlies.
@Ipetu madu joe Aribo should replace Allasan Yusuf? You are joking.
Alhasan also is good.
The guy played very well in his first appearance at afcon. He would have done better in the following match if it’s not because of injury.
JO Aribo is far better than Alhassan Yusuf. Benjamin Tianimu has to become a mainstay in defence.
He is surely joking!!!!
There is nothing like friendly match to Nigeria football fans. All matches are important to them.
Invited Super Eagles, please help us play the two matches with all seriousness.
God bless Super Eagles of Nigeria.
We Nigeria football fans love you all.
Please, put smile on Nigerians faces again.
NFF where is our best performing midfielder in afcon, Frank Onyeka?
Good squad for the friendly games. Invitation of Gabriel Osho absolutely spot on, as well as for all the recalled players who weren’t in the AFCON squad. However, I can’t understand the invitation of this Benjamin Tianimu (who only left NPFL few weeks ago to Tanzania of all places) while Igho Ogbu continues to be ignored despite churning out excellent performances in the Europa League with Slavia Praha who are currently 2nd in the Czech top league.
Where’s Ndah?
The continued shunning of Orlando Pirate;’s solid defender Ndah is baffling. Despite his languid frame, the guy surprisingly gave a good expression of himself in the only 2 matches he was given a chance.
Excellent squad of Sper Eagles , but need addition of Igho Ugbu , Yira Sor and Moses Usor as pace player has left- footed he is btter than Samuel Chukwueze in penetration the rival defenc, he is good at scoring goals, good passer and good winger who reflects the crosses he just plays like Amunike; also left winger Yira Sor plays like Tijani Babanjida he has the same Usor techniques.
We haveto recall ejuke. he is in terrific form. I have watched his games on espn . He will definitely be a good substitute for simon or iwobi.with his current form he is better than chukwueze. He can even play no 10 position.
Thank God chukuwueze and Aribo are out. They should be out for good until they show they are ready.
Whoever compiled the list really watched the Afcon and listened to Nigerians. Uzoho should have been left out too.
They have started sneaking in players from Tanzania into the team. Rohr or Paseiro would never invite such. Why don’t they invite a home based defender than someone from Tanzania. They are just trying to market that Benjamin. His agent must be doing something big with green paper.
This is the reason I hate Nigerian coaches handling the team. They are easily induced and influenced. Who is this guy from Tanzania? Someone has definitely paid them to include him. If a player playing in the Tanzanian league is qualified to be in that team, why not invite Olisa Ndah from Orlando Pirates too? Why not test Ogbelu from Esperance in the midfield or that guy playing in Etoile Du Sahel also in Tunisia? Why not try and see how more creative midfielders could be brought into the team , instead relying heavily on Alex Iwobi who failed woefully at the AFCON.
Perfect squad, i dont want to see chuks and aribo in this team anymore if we must progress, fisayo bashiru should have been in the last afcon if pesero wasnt a coward.
Igho ogbu and adaribioyo should be invited to replace ekong and ajayi as we move forward, i hope one of eze or olise will join the team soon, ndidi, osho are highly welcome.
Uzoho again! No activity in more than 2 months and still being considered!
But who is the god-father of Uzoho in the national team ? Why is it that same punishment can’t be applied to Uzoho? This guy has disappointed in national team matches consistently, since the completion of AFCON, his club has played 4 matches and he has been benched in all those matches.
When you think the lessons learnt from the emergence of Nwabali is enough to try out active goal keepers. Onasogie from bendel insurance and Adeleye from Israel can be considered.
Not sure Adeleye is active but okonkwo would have been a good try out. The handlers are very frustrating, it is taking too much time to build a solid team because we keep wasting opportunity to try out new players in friendlies. Later what you will hear is we can’t take chances in a live match.
It is sad that these type of persons are in Charge of our football. What new thing will Uzoho show us ? It would have been a good opportunity to try out okonkwo. Onyedika was tried at the afcon and was underwhelming; why not try out new midfielders like kelechi nwakali and samson tijani? I honestly do not understand these people running our football.
Nice list! Who is the coach? But where are the home based players people were clamoring for under Peseiro? I thought they are going to do away with our foreign based player and replace them with the home based players but instead they are extending an invitation to a Tanzanian based player. When will we stop deceiving ourselves and learn to embrace continuity so we can always get good results.
A player from Tanzania, ok. Please where is the world best defender playing South Africa ‘Ndah’ abi watin be him name again. Tell me why will they take local coaches serious, what is someone from Tanzania league doing in our squad for crying out loud. It would have been better assuming they invite an home based player
Good players can be anywhere, when amuneke made the tunisia 94 team, he was plying his trade in Egypt. It does not matter where you play.as long as the quality is there. Having said that , I hope this dude is good.
Nigerians can complain sha. The guy from Tanzania just left for Tanzania. He was playing for insurance. He should have been given the chance before
Is Tanzania the destination of quality players? Na was o! Which Tanzania team has ever done anything on the continent? Soon, we will be inviting players from Idia and Indonesia once they can pay whoever is in the useless NFF.
Why Umar always gets the nod ahead of Moffi doesn’t make sense to me cos I think the latter is a lot better. Maybe federal character consideration sha. Moffi and Dessers are not getting the respect they deserve with Nigeria. Just considered fringe players or last-minute replacements. Anyway, I trust a few of these players will pull out and Moffi will be called to replace one again. Ndidi always the number one to pull out of friendlies.
I still prefer white coach than black coaches. Alot of them in NFF don’t want white man because he will not alow them to market players.
Eheeeen, how many players were marketed under Rorh or paseiro that you know about, abeg save your data and stop coming here to look silly
Gift Orban???
Abeg o with all the hype, he has being held quiet in France. One moment player
Good list.. We will be playing without Aina, Wrong, Boniface, Chukwueze,and Aribo. Nice one let’s try some new legs.
Ekong* not wrong
The exclusion of Aribo and Chuks is a wake up call to both of them.
Their performance has just not been up to speed.
In Aribo’s defense, he has been deployed in an area of the pitch he doesn’t belong in, i.e. central midfield. He can play there in the Championship, but against African opponents, forget it.
We have four natural central midfielders in the list. GREAT! This in my opinion corrects the mistake Peseiro made at the Afcon, going there with not enough central midfielders. The obvious intention is to start at least 2 per game, and leave 2 on the bench as subs. Iwobi is there to play as an AM in a 3-man midfield, but he should also be an option for the left or right wing. Iwobi and Lookman would be my first choice wingers. If Iwobi is starting as an AM, then Lookman and Tella would be my choice on the wings.
Fisayo is there to compete with Iwobi for the AM role. Although not a natural CM, he can play there comfortably, as he has the required physical attributes.
Kolawole finally gets another chance! Nice one. Play him alongside Osimhen, let’s see what he’s got.
So we have 3 goalies, 6 center backs, 4 full backs/wing backs, 4 CMs, 2 AMs, 4 wingers, and 4 strikers.
Ideal for 3-4-3, 3-5-2, 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 formations.
All things considered, not a bad list. The person(s) that compiled this list had their thinking caps on. Kudos to them.
Thank you pompie. That is vintage pompei. Professional analysis.
NFFJAMBOREE! WHERE IS OLISA NDAH? WHERE IS EJUKE? WHERE IS IGHO UGBU? WHERE AMAS OBASOGIE? WHO HAS THE CALLING OF A GOALKEEPER FROM GOD LIKE PASTORS! WE HAVE GOOD ATTACKING MIDFIELDERS IN TUNISIA LEAGUE LIKE 3! WHERE IS NFF LAZY SCOUT? FULHAM DEFENDER TOSIN AD? THESE ARE HIGH QUALITY PLAYERS CONSISTENTLY OMITTED. BUT THAT TANIMU FROM TANZANIA IS A WICKED TIGHT DEFENDER O HMMM… EXPOSE YOUR TALENTS NFF BECAUSE IT IS NOT ALWAYS BY EUROPE BASED. NFF SCOUTS ARE A JOKE. CHECK NIGERIA, AFRICA AND OTHER SMALL EUROPEAN CITIES, IF A PLAYER IS HIGH STANDARD AND QUALITY THEN INVITE THEM AND EXPOSE THEM TO TOP CLUBS. UNA HEAR???? WHERE IS AMUNEKE AND FINIDI AS COACH?
Get amuneke Emmanuel ASAP let us see him with these friendly matches first hand, let us observe him before he signs the contract… or if the Nff is as confused as ever and as usually so, then they should appoint finidi ASAP let him audition with these friendly games. my own opinion is that based on continuity, get amuneke and finidi as head coach and assistant respectively. No time for jamboree applications and searching up and down when a serious Nff should remember that June is coming fast.
please where are duo Nathan Tella and Victor Boniface Bayer Leverkusen ?
Nathan is in the list. Boni will recover fully by March end
Hehehehe….we never consult oracle, oracle don begin dey talk.
So we have a certain John Pius in Portugese Liga and a certain Igho Ogbu who has kept one of the deadliest traditional centre forwards in the world quiet over 2 legs in the Europa league this season, who isn’t gonna be coming to the SE to be tested because we all saw him at U17 and U20 levels too…..but it is a certain Tanzanian league fellow (who isn’t playing for Simba nor Azam) that Eguavoen deems fit as next deserving of a SE callup…?
Same Eguavoen who needed to go to Europe and watch the European conference league top scorer b4 listing him in his AFCON roaster but found reasons to smuggle deadwoods like Olisah Ndah and Kelechi Nwakali into the squad through the backdoor.
Man wants to make some quick transfer kickbacks before he is relegated to his office desk once a new coach is employed.
Later they will say local coaches are not being given a chance
@Dr.Drey… yes Eguaveon is actually never to be trusted because while I have nothing against inviting any player of quality regardless of where he plays… It’s clear it’s Eguaveon who has drawnup the list for the upcoming friendlies versus Mali and Ghana. What is actually special about any player in the Tanzanian league. Eguaveon sees himself first as coach before an administrator… Why he hasn’t not applied to coach other clubs and national teams since is what I can’t understand. That man touches anything and it fails. Eguaveon is from Edo state and has ties to Bendel Insurance which is not a bad thing but why he has chosen to favour an ex-player of Bendel Insurance whom as I hear just of left Bendel Insurance two weeks ago is what I can’t understand. Of course once the said player Tiaminu gets two caps a foreign club will swoop and Eguaveon will get his commission… those Nigerians like Eguaveon are the reason many foreign borns never get invited even though they are doing well… however, I disagree with you that Ndah is a weak player or not SE quality playing a sterling role at Orlando Pirates. I think Eguaveon will make sure no indigenous coach is hired. That man has never qualified Nigeria for any serious tournament in his life… He is a serial failure and because he is a local coach… I refuse to accept that Eguaveon past performances writes a summary on all Nigerian coaches. I will welcome Amuneke/Finidi/Garba/Enyeama coaching Thinktank!
Make una leave the coach alone. Haba, so what if he calls a player from Tanzania league what’s the issue, were players not called from lackluster teams in the past, hell didn’t break lose. It’s a friendly and its an opportunity to see what the player is made off. Many names were shared here during Rorh and paseiro and a lot were flop, who weren’t eagles material. Even the ones playing their trade in top European teams also come to the national team and play rubbish. So let the poor guy be. At least this is not paseiro that will invite players and not use them
Dr drey I slightly agree with you. I suspect eguavon here. The problem coming up again. But I want to give him the benefit of doubt. Probably this player from Tanzania who just left has been unduly left out of the team. And he wants to correct this. So because he just left he is still a product or player of npfl. I don’t know the guy but some people have said good things about him.
Igoh ogbu is top quality defender and olisa ndah, tanimu from Tanzania is top raw quality player.