Some ex-internationals have criticised the men’s senior national team handler, Jose Peseiro, over the non-inclusion of outfield players from the domestic league in his 40-man provisional squad for the Africa Cup of Nations which begins next month in Côte d’Ivoire.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Wednesday revealed the official 40-man provisional list of the Super Eagles, submitted by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) for the 2023 African Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Only three NPFL goalkeepers made the cut – Ojo Olorunleke of Enyimba FC, Bendel Insurance’s Amas Obasogie and Christian Nwoke of Sporting Lagos.
Former Super Eagles forward, Odion Ighalo, who played for Prime FC of Oshogbo in Osun State and the defunct Julius Berger of Lagos in the NPFL before moving to Europe in 2007, said the decision to overlook players from the domestic league will further demoralise their morale.
“I don’t think it is right not to invite any home-based player, because this is a provisional list,” Ighalo said.
Former Super Eagles captain and coach, Sunday Oliseh, while reacting to Ighalo’s positionon X, insisted that more NPFL players need to be included in the team.
“If we had superstars like in the 90’s and early 2000’s playing at the very top world clubsides, UEFA Champions League e.t.c, one could understand the absence of home-based in a 40 man call-up,” Oliseh said.
“Haba, dem just want kill everything wey be home-based in favour of football business! Time we acted!!.”
An X user by name, King David replied Oliseh, saying: “Coachee, I still maintain that we don’t have consistent players in the league.
Meanwhile, Atlanta ’96 gold medallist Joseph Dosu, who also featured for the defunct Julius Berger in the 1990s, expressed his disappointment over the decision to overlook Kingdom Osayi from the list of goalkeepers in the provisional squad.
“I really don’t know the criteria for inviting goalkeepers to the national team but regardless I think Osayi deserves a call-up,” Dosu said.
It remains to be seen if either of the trio will make the final 27-man squad for the AFCON which will be announced before January 3.
John Noble was the only player from the NPFL who made the Eagles squad to the 2021 AFCON hosted by Cameroon where they exited in the round of 16.