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Author: Adedapo Adesanya

Ahead of the 33rd round of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cameroon next month, the Nigerian Football Association (NFF) has announced changes to the Super Eagles team playing in the tournament.

Naples striker Victor Osimhen is not part of the team, as are Watford striker Emmanuel Dennis, Cypriot Abdullahi Shehu and Central Defender Leon Balogun.

Seen in a statement released by the NFF on Friday Business Post told the reasons why the players are not joining the team and named the new players who have been invited to the exchange.

Osimhen was removed from the team after his coronavirus test was positive, but he has also not yet fully recovered from the facial injury he experienced in November.

New substitutes include Henry Onyekuru, Peter Olayinka, Tyronne Ebuehi and Oluwasemilogo Ajayi.

AFCON 2021 is scheduled to be held in January 2022 in Cameroon and will end on February 6th.

NFF statement:

Health concerns and injuries limit changes to Nigeria’s final list of 28 men at AFCON 2021

A positive coronavirus pandemic test by a bustling striker Victor Osimhen a couple of days ago and the injury to the versatile Abdullahi Shehu have limited changes to Nigeria’s final list of 28 men to the 33rd Africa Cup of Nations tournament starting in Cameroon next weekend.

The goalkeeping department is untouched, but the forced exclusion of Cypriot Shehu, who has easy access to parts of the defensive and midfield, has made the road hard like the claws of right-wing defender Tyrone Ebueh, who is now playing in Venice’s Italian Serie A. , and Oluwasemilogo Ajayi, who lives in England, returns to the block at the flagship football championship in Africa after the injury to Central Defender Leon Balogun. Ajayi can also play as a midfielder.

Osimhen’s absence paves the way for Henry Onyekuru of Greece, who was also in the final finals in Egypt. Fast-paced fast striker Emmanuel Dennis, whose English Premier League club reveals his teeth, has been given the freedom to give way to Czech striker Peter Olayinka.

SUPER EAGLES’S SQUAD 33. AFCON CAMERAON 2021

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); John Noble (Enyimba FC); Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands).

Defenders: Chidozie Awaziem (Alanyaspor FC, Turkey); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Tyrone Ebuehi (Venezia FC, Italy); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Olisa Ndah (Orlando Pirates, South Africa).

Midfielders: Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Galsgow Rangers, Scotland); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Chidera Ejuke (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Kelechi Nwakali (SD Huesca, Spain).

Ahead: Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Henry Onyekuru (Olympiakos FC, Greece); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Sadiq Umar (UD Almeria, Spain); Taiwo Awoniyi (Union Berlin, Germany); Odion Jude Ighalo (Al-Shabab Riyadh, Saudi Arabia); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Peter Olayinka (SK Slavia Prague, Czech Republic).