Ighalo, Iheanacho Missing as Jose Peseiro Invites Ekong, Musa forAFCON Qualifiers

• Nigeria vs Sierra Leone will hold at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja as AFCON 2023 qualifiers officially begin
• Having missed out on the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the Super Eagles are condemned to qualify for the African showpiece
• Peseiro has invited 27 players for the games against Sierra Leone and Sao Tome and Principe, as captain Ahmed Musa is listed

New Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro is desperate to kick start the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers on a positive note and has invited 27 players for the forthcoming matches against Sierra Leone and Sao Tome and Principe.

Nigeria host the Lone Stars at the Moshood Abiola Stadium in Abuja on June 9, before flying to an Island close to the equator to face Sao Tome and Principe on Monday, June 13.

The Nigeria Football Federation, in a statement, revealed that Portuguese tactician Peseiro has invited 27 players for the matches as the Super Eagles hope to put behind their World Cup debacle, Complete Sports reports.

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Among the invited players are captain Ahmed Musa and his assistant William Troost-Ekong as well as a number of players who were part squad that toured the United States for friendly matches against Mexico and Ecuador.

List of invited players

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Adewale Adeyinka (Akwa United); Adebayo Adeleye (Hapoel Jerusalem, Israel).

Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Abdullahi Shehu (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Chidozie Awaziem (Alanyaspor FC, Turkey); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Sani Faisal (Katsina United); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain).

Midfielders: Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Oghenekaro Etebo (Watford FC, England); Innocent Bonke (FC Lorient, France); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England).

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal CF, Spain); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Victor Osimhen (SSC Napoli, Italy); Cyriel Dessers (Feyenoord FC, The Netherlands); Ademola Lookman (Leicester City, England); Sadiq Umar (UD Almeria, Spain); Terem Moffi (FC Lorient, France).

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Peseiro rues Nigeria’s loss to Ecuador

Meanwhile, Sports Brief earlier reported that Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro has reacted to Nigeria’s 1-0 loss to Ecuador in a friendly match played at the 25,000 capacity Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey.

It is the second match the Portuguese tactician will be handling since he was appointed the new technical adviser of the Nigerian national team.

Peseiro lost his debut game with the team as Mexico defeated Nigeria 2-1 at the AT&T Stadium and Arlington and the manager had hoped for a better result in his second game in charge.