AFCON 2023: Jose Peseiro to Axe 16 Players From Super Eagles Provisional Squad

• The Super Eagles' provisional 41-man squad to the AFCON is set to be trimmed
• Jose Peseiro is ready to axe 16 players from the listed players
• Nigeria is bidding to win a fourth AFCON title in Ivory Coast

Nigeria is getting set for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations with manager Jose Peseiro bidding to end the Super Eagles’ 10-year wait to lift the tournament again.

The Portuguese manager has submitted a provisional 41-man list to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) with Victor Osimhen, Victor Boniface, and Alex Iwobi, some of the superstars in the squad.

According to Vanguard, Peseiro will trim his 41-man provisional squad to a manageable 25 players for the African Cup of Nations, as 16 players are set to be axed from the team, a source close to the coach has said.

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The Super Eagles, like all qualified teams, are required to submit their final championship squad list and player shirt numbers to CAF by January 2.

The 2023 AFCON will be held from January 13 to February 11 in six Ivoirian cities.

7 players likely to be dropped

Meanwhile, CAF has set January 3 as the deadline for all countries to disclose their final 27-man list, and given the calibre of the Super Eagles squad, Jose Peseiro may have a difficult time selecting his final team.

According to Soccernet, Rangers forward Cyriel Dessers and former Watford striker Emmanuel Dennis have been listed among seven players likely to get dropped from the Nigeria squad.

Others also included in the list comprise of Amas Obasogie of Bendel Insurance, Sporting Lagos’ Christian Nwoke, Tom Dele-Bashiru of Hatayspor, Hoffenheim’s Kevin Akpoguma, and Cardiff’s left-back Jamilu Collins.

Nigerians tell NFF to sack Peseiro

Earlier, Sports Brief reported that Nigerian fans have called on the sacking of Super Eagles coach Jose Peseiro following their draw with Lesotho in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.

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The Eagles have begun the World Cup qualifying series on a poor note after a 1-1 draw with the Crocodiles inside the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo.

Jose Peseiro's side had to come from behind to force a draw in a game they dominated from start to finish.