AFCON2023: 3 NPFL players named in Super Eagles 55-man provisional squad

Super Eagles manager Jose Peseiro has named a 55-man provisional squad for the 2023 African Cup of Nations, AFCON2023, with only three players called up from the Nigeria Professional Football League, NPFL.

As reported by Pulse Sports Nigeria, Nigeria and other African countries have submitted their squad lists ahead of the tournament slated for early next year in Cote d’Ivoire.

According to the list, only three goalkeepers were considered good enough to help Peseiro chase his dream of leading Nigeria to the AFCON title. 

Bendel Insurance superstar goalkeeper Amas Obasogie has been rewarded for his brilliant consistency as he made the alongside two others.

Sporting Lagos Christain Nwoke is another goalkeeper included in the team, with Enyimba’s Ojo Olorunleke the last of the home-based selections.

The Portuguese manager has once again opted for players based in Europe, with the decision to select just three players in Nigeria’s elite division surely going to raise eyebrows.

Nigeria’s quest for a fourth AFCON victory and the first in 10 years will the Eagles look to navigate a tricky Group A.

The Super Eagles find themselves in the same group as the host country, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau, who faced Nigeria during the qualifiers.

Jose Peseiro is expected to submit a final 27-man squad on January 3, 10 days before their opener against Equatorial Guinea as the Eagles hope for a positive start to the tournament.