Red hot Leicester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho is the only player yet to arrive the camp of the senior national team of Nigeria for their AFCON 2022 engagements.

Nigeria will take on Benin Republic and Lesotho respectively looking for one point to seal their passage to next year Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.

As at that time of filing in this report, the six other expected players earlier today have all touched down the camp of the team bar Iheanacho who also missed the media parley held with members of the press.

Camp sources say he will be in camp latest this evening but no reason was given for his absence even though his Leicester City teammate Wilfred Ndidi is already in camp.

IN CAMP:

Ahmed Musa
Shehu Abdullahi
Leon Balogun
Joe Aribo
Ola Aina
Alex Iwobi
William Troost Ekong
Shehu Abdullahi
Henry Onyekuru
Tyronne Ebuehi
Paul Onuachu
Anayo Iwuala
Adekunle Adeleye
John Noble
Maduka Okoye
Semi Ajayi
Chidozie Awaziem
Jamilu Collins
Zaidu Sanusi
Francis Uzoho
Samuel Chukwueze
Victor Osimhen
Wilfred Ndidi

A total of 18 players are currently in the camp of the senior national team of Nigeria preparing for Saturday AFCON 2022 qualifiers game against Benin Republic.

Nigeria will take on the Squirrels in Cotonou before rounding up with a game against Lesotho in Lagos with the team needing just one point from two games to qualify for next year Africa Cup of Nations.

Ahead of the game the team opened camp in Lagos and light training in the gym started this morning with full training session to commence by Tuesday evening.

So far only five players are not in the camp of the team and Owngoalnigeria.comcompile the list of those in camp and the ones yet to arrive.

IN CAMP:

Ahmed Musa
Shehu Abdullahi
Leon Balogun
Joe Aribo
Ola Aina
Alex Iwobi
William Troost Ekong
Shehu Abdullahi
Henry Onyekuru
Tyronne Ebuehi
Paul Onuachu
Anayo Iwuala
Adekunle Adeleye
John Noble
Maduka Okoye
Semi Ajayi
Chidozie Awaziem
Jamilu Collins

NOT IN CAMP YET

Zaidu Sanusi
Francis Uzoho
Samuel Chukwueze
Victor Osimhen
Wilfred Ndidi
Kelechi Iheanacho

Former Nigeria international defender Celestine Babayaro says the coach is the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr got it all wrong with his list of players for their upcoming AFCON 2022 qualifiers.

Rohr named only one home base player in his list of players for the games against Benin Republic and Lesotho respectively but following a spate of withdrawals he has now called up two more.

Babayaro while reacting to the games where Nigeria need just a point out of a possible six points said the coach should have named more players playing in Nigeria domestic leagues and around the African continent.

He said in the past , previous managers of the senior national team of Nigeria have used opportunities like this to create competition in the team to keep the foreign based on their toes.

“ Maybe we have lost a thing or two about trusting players playing at home because they should dominate the list per the nature of the games. The coach don’t need that high amount of foreign based players particularly with the travel restrictions in some European countries”, he told Mowiz.

“ Back then coaches use games like this to give the home lads a chance to push the foreign based for a spot and that in turn keeps everyone on their toes. Maybe that would have been better”, he concluded.

The story of Felix Agu should in a way serve as a lesson to players who have dual nationalities when it comes to making a decision on the national team they want to represent.

Agu was sighted by coach of the Nigerian team Gernot Rohr while watching a second division game in Germany with the then 19 year old turning out for Osnabruck.

Rohr was mightily impressed by his potential and immediately established contacts with his representatives in view of getting him to commit to Nigeria.

As at that time he hasn’t played for Germany at any level and his representatives jumped at the prospect of him linking up with the Super Eagles.

Germany U21 handlers were soon alerted to the talents of the right back and immediately extended an invitation to him to be a part of their national team, around same time Nigeria were set to name their squad for their international round of games.

He was left with the option of picking one of the two teams and he went for Germany which his agent as at that time said is the best option for him as he was born and brought up in Germany.

“ It’s the best for now and even though we don’t know what the future holds. Playing for Nigeria wouldn’t have been bad but Germany made him who he is, so his loyalty should firstly be to them “, he told German publication Kicker.

Fast forward to now and Agu has since moved up the ladder to the Bundesliga where he has played 13 games with a goals and assist to his name this season for Werder Bremen.

However that telling contribution wasn’t seen as good enough for him to make the German U21 team for the European Championship. Something that will no doubt hurt him as he could have easily be with the Nigerian team preparing for the 2022 AFCON qualifiers.

The appointment of Joseph Yobo as one of the coaches of the senior national team of Nigeria didn’t come as a surprise to many considering his former role as captain of the team.

He also rank among one of the longest serving players in the team and also had an illustrious football career in Europe. Many were as expected happy to see the legend back in the team.

News broke out almost immediately that Yobo who replaced Imama Amapakabo in the coaching set up of the Nigerian team was appointed without the knowledge of Gernot Rohr, the man he is meant to assist. This much was confirmed by Rohr.

Among other things Rohr lamented the exit of Imama and for the first time revealed that Yobo doesn’t have the required certification to be a coach yet despite playing at the highest level.

He encouraged Yobo to embark on a coaching course but in came the coronavirus pandemic, which placed a halt on most major activities around the world.

Rohr however handed Yobo , the role of Imama and Salisu Yusuf, two of his former assistants and it involves scouting of players from the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).

Checks around several league venues after 17 round of matches has it that the former Everton man hasn’t been seen around any league venue since the start of the season in sharp contrast to Rohr who has been to four different venues.

Furthermore even images posted by the League Management Company (LMC) of national team coaches watching the game via television has almost every member of the technical crew of the Super Eagles bar Yobo.

Rumors of a disconnect between Rohr and Yobo surfaced after the friendly games against Algeria and Tunisia respectively leading to a reduced role for Yobo who according to reports complained to the minister of Sports during a meeting with the NFF.

We gathered he told the minister that Rohr initially welcomed him but after the first set of games, the German left him with no role in the team as he wasn’t carried along in decision making.

As things stands, Yobo is merely a member of the technical crew on paper but in practice he has no specific role to play as part of the crew.

Reading of England midfielder Michael Olise passed on a perfect opportunity to put to rest speculations on if he has truly committed his international future to Nigeria ahead of France.

The 19 year old was placed on the standby list of players invited by coach of the senior national team of Nigeria in his squad for the 2022 AFCON qualifiers games against Benin Republic and Lesotho respectively.

Although sources close to coach Gernot Rohr of the Super Eagles confirmed he has agreed to play for Nigeria, the coach has refused to publicly give his words on if the former France U18 midfielder has committed to Nigeria.

Yesterday Olise was live on Instagram in an interview session with two others responding to questions from his followers on the social media application but ducked when the question on if he has switched to Nigeria was asked.

He immediately stood up and ended the live session leaving the question unanswered and further spreading doubts on if he has truly agreed to dump France for the senior national team of Nigeria.

1. Semi Ajayi
2. William Troost Ekong
3. Ahmed Musa
4. Ola Aina
5. Shehu Abdullahi
6. Alex Iwobi
7. Paul Onuachu
8. Henry Onyekuru
9. Oghenekaro Etebo

Nigeria international striker Kelechi Iheanacho was once again the star man for Leicester City with two goals and assist to help his team to a 3-1 win over Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter finals.

The in form forward profited early from a wayward pass from Fred to score the opening goal of the game in the 24th minute but Mason Greenwood leveled for United to keep the tie at 1-1 heading into the break.

Youri Tieleman restored Leicester City’s lead in the 52nd minute with a grounder after a set up by Iheanacho leaving Manchester United with all to do if they want to be in the semi final.

With United looking uncertain from a corner kick Iheanacho pulled away to head home his second goal of the game and his side’s third to effectively kill the game as a contest.

The goal was his seventh in last four games. His form has earned him the nickname Seniorman from his teammates notably his Nigeria national team partner Wilfred Ndidi.

The camp of the senior national team of Nigeria for the 2022 AFCON will open tomorrow with as many as six players playing in England getting the approval of their clubs to play in the game against Benin Republic and Lesotho respectively.

Owngoalnigeria.com exclusively gathered that the likes of Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho,  Semi Ajayi, Ola Aina and William Troost Ekong have all communicated their availability for the game.

Still from the United Kingdom, the duo of Leon Balogun and Joe Aribo of Scottish side Rangers have also indicated their availability for the games and are expected in camp by Tuesday.

Their confirmation puts to rest fears in the camp of the Nigerian team that they will not be available for the game due to travel restrictions owing to the coronavirus crisis which requires people entering into England to isolate.

Players going for international games have been granted permission to skip quarantine upon their return provided they meet certain conditions which include regular coronavirus test with negative results.

Napoli of Italy forward Victor Osimhen has informed the technical crew of the senior national team of Nigeria that he will be available for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

The Super Eagles need a point from their last two games in the AFCON qualifiers to seal progress to the Africa soccer show piece with Benin Republic and Lesotho, the two teams they will be facing for a point.

Nigeria have been rocked by several withdrawals with clubs exercising the right given to them by FIFA on the fact that it’s not mandatory to release your player for international games in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

Osimhen who suffered from the virus and missed three weeks of football due to it has however confirmed that he will be available for the game with Napoli willing to let him leave for the game.

” He (Osimhen) has confirmed to the crew that he will be available. His ticket has been sent already. So no cause for alarm. We still don’t know if it’s for both games but we are sure he will be around for at least one of the games”, a member of the backroom staff told Owngoalnigeria.com.