Nigeria releases final squad list for AFCON 2024

Posted : 30 December 2023

Three-time champions Nigeria have selected a team of 25 players for their quest for a fourth Africa Cup of Nations title, with Head Coach Jose Peseiro opting for the usual suspects in a roster that includes three goalkeepers, nine defenders, five midfielders, and eight forwards.

Surprisingly, Captain Ahmed Musa returns to the squad after being left out of the starting games in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification series, while South Africa-based goalkeeper Stanley Nwabili is selected alongside Francis Uzoho and Olorunleke Ojo.

2009 U17 World Cup star Kenneth Omeruo, the only other player in the squad apart from Musa who was part of Nigeria’s 2013 squad that triumphed in South Africa, leads the defense alongside William Ekong. Other defenders include Olaoluwa Aina, Oluwasemilogo Ajayi, Calvin Bassey, Zaidu Sanusi, Chidozie Awaziem, Bright Osayi-Samuel, and Bruno Onyemaechi.

Wilfred Ndidi is also back in the lineup after missing the World Cup qualifying matches against Lesotho and Zimbabwe. He is expected to provide support to the strike-force alongside Alex Iwobi, Raphael Onyedika, Joe Ayodele-Aribo, and Frank Onyeka.

Musa, Nigeria’s record goalscorer at the FIFA World Cup finals with a brace each in Brazil 2014 and Russia 2018, is in the forward-line alongside Africa Player of the Year Victor Osimhen, Kelechi Iheanacho, Moses Simon, Samuel Chukwueze, Victor Boniface, Sadiq Umar, and Ademola Lookman.

All 25 players will depart from their respective bases on Tuesday, 2nd January, to fly into Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, for a one-week training camp that will last until Tuesday, 9th January. The team will then fly back to Lagos on Tuesday, 9th January, and proceed to the Ivorian capital, Abidjan on Wednesday, 10th January.

The Super Eagles, in their quest for a fourth continental title, will take on Equatorial Guinea on Sunday, 14th January, in their first match of Group A, before facing host nation Cote d’Ivoire (18th January) and Guinea Bissau (22nd January).

Nigeria, participating in the Africa Cup of Nations for the 20th time, were champions as hosts in 1980, triumphant in Tunisia in 1994, and crowned winners in South Africa in 2013.

When Cote d’Ivoire hosted the finals in 1984, a young Nigerian squad led by the inimitable Stephen Keshi went all the way to the Final before losing to the much-experienced Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in a memorable Final at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny in Abidjan.

Invited players:

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabili (Chippa United, South Africa); Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus); Olorunleke Ojo (Enyimba FC)

Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Chidozie Awaziem (Boavista FC, Portugal); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce FC, Turkey); William Troost-Ekong (PAOK Salonika, Greece); Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal); Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa FC, Turkey); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal)

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Joe Ayodele-Aribo (Southampton FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England)

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Sivasspor K, Turkey); Victor Osimhen (Napoli SC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad, Spain); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)

Nigeria releases final squad list for AFCON 2024

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