5 players who should not have made Jose Peseiro's first Super Eagles list

The Super Eagles squad to prosecute the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sierra Leone and Sao Tome has been publicised and it is controversial, to say the least.

The 27-man squad list is the first assembled by new Super Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro and there were some surprise inclusions.

Here are five players from that list who should not have made it either based on current form or the fact that there was someone more deserving who didn't.

Leon Balogun has been a Super Eagles regular for at least the last six years but perhaps it's time for the centre-back to be phased out of the national team.

5 big omissions from Jose Peseiro’s first Super Eagles squad list

Osimhen returns as Peseiro invites 27 players for Sierra Leone and São Tomé

How Leon Balogun’s unceremonious Rangers exit affects his place in the Super Eagles

Balogun was great in his prime but those days are now over as the 33-year old recently became a free agent following the expiration of his contract at Rangers.

Hid inclusion in the squad is made even worse by the exclusion of Valentine Ozornwafor and Kevin Akpoguma, two better centre-back options.

It remains a mystery how and why Shehu Abdullahi continues to get invited to the national team while consistently being an overall average footballer.

29-year old Shehu plays for Omonia Nicosia in Cyprus and has fallen well out of contention for a starting place in the Super Eagles but somehow keeps getting invited.

Everyone knows what Oghenekaro Etebo offers the Super Eagles when he's at his best but that is not the case right now as the 26-year old has been battling injuries this season.

Etebo got injured for Watford in September 2021 and has only played 27 minutes of football since then which is why his inclusion in the squad ahead of someone like Alhassan Yusuf.

Frank Onyeka has become a regular fixture in the Super Eagles squads lately but mostly as a cover for Wilfred Ndidi and appears to now be set for a starting spot in Ndidi's absence.

But Onyeka's season has not been worthy of a national team call up, he last started a Premier League game for Brentford in February.

Some might argue that Onyeka should have been replaced in the Super Eagles by Raphael Onyedika, the younger midfielder who replaced him at Midtjylland.

At this point, it is worth asking why Ahmed Musa keeps getting invited to the national team even with a new coach in charge.

The 29-year old winger who plays for Fatih Karagumruk is clearly past his best but is somehow still considered good enough to make the Super Eagles squad but not good enough to actually start games, almost as though