BEVERLY HILLS, May 14, (THEWILL) – In keeping with the determination of the Amaju Pinnick-led Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to keep Nigeria’s senior men’s national football team, the Super Eagles, engaged with grade A friendly matches to keep in shape for all engagements continental and international, the team will clash with five-time African champions Cameroon in Austria on Friday, June 4.
To this end, the team coach Gernot Rohr has drawn up a provisional squad list of 31 players to prosecute the prestigious international friendly match which is billed to take place at 7:30pm Nigerian time, at the Wiener Neustadt in the Austrian capital, Vienna.
Rohr’s squad sheet features Nigeria’s A list stars, who have had sensational performances for their foreign club’s this season across some of Europe’s biggest leagues such as Genk’s highest goal-scorer Paul Onuachu, Crotone’s Simy Nwankwo, Leicester City’s midfield Wilfred Ndidi and striker Kelechi Iheanacho, Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Villarreal’s Samuel Chukwueze.
However, team captain Ahmed Musa returns to his place of prominence in the squad having been keeping fitness up with Kano Pillars of the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL). By his side will be deputy captain William Ekong, and Maduka Okoye in goal. The team’s defenders will be Kenneth Omeruo and Chidozie Awaziem, then, there is also Oghenekaro Etebo.
Once again, there were some fresh names in the squad such as the Portugal-based Abraham Marcus. But, Enyimba FC’s energetic forward Anayo Iwuala, whose tenacity and drive has helped the People’s Elephant to the quarter finals of the CAF Confederation Cup, returns for another opportunity to earn a place in the squad after his debut caps against Benin Republic and Lesotho in the Match AFCON qualifiers.
As is the practice, Rohr’s list of 31 players is provisional and of that number only 23 will make the Super Eagles squad that will fly to Vienna for another chapter of Nigeria’s perennial rivalry against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.
The history of the contest for regional football supremacy between Cameroon and Nigeria is a long one. The two have clashed in five final matches at the AFCON, three of which the Super Eagles went on to win titles in 1984, 1988 and 2000.
As tough as opponent as they have been, they are yet to beat Nigeria in regulation time since a 1-0 triumph in a 1990 FIFA World Cup qualifying match at the Stade Omnisports on August 27, 1989, in Yaounde.
In more recent times, they have suffered at the hands of the Super Eagles, who took the Lions to the cleaners with a 4-0 trouncing at the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Uyo in September 2017. The best they could muster in response was a feeble 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture in Yaounde, which helped qualify Nigeria for the Russian-hosted World Cup.
They have remained a strong side and are ranked 8th in the current Coca-Cola FIFA Rankings. They will present a solid challenge for the Super Eagles and are a good choice for an international friendly like this.
The Full Provisional Team Sheet:
GOALKEEPERS
Francis Uzoho (APOEL Nicosia, Cyprus); John Noble (Enyimba FC); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands); Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Heartland FC)
DEFENDERS
Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Kevin Akpoguma (Hoffenheim, Germany); Chidozie Awaziem (FC Boavista, Portugal); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Fulham FC, England); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Tyronne Ebuehi (FC Twente, The Netherlands); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England)
MIDFIELDERS
Oghenekaro Etebo (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Abdullahi Shehu (Omonia Nicosa, Cyprus); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Abraham Marcus (CD Feirense, Portugal)
FORWARDS
Ahmed Musa (Kano Pillars FC); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Sadiq Umar (Almeria FC, Spain); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Victor Osimhen (Napoli FC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Henry Onyekuru (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Anayo Iwuala (Enyimba FC); Peter Olayinka (Slavia Praha, Czech Republic); Terem Moffi (FC Lorient, France); Paul Onuachu (KRC Genk, Belgium); Simy Nwankwo (Crotone FC, Italy)
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
