AFCON 2021: Profiling Nigeria’s 28-man squad to Cameroon

Jidechi Chidiezie 15:21 - 07 January 2022

Super Eagles

The 33rd edition of the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) would see 28 men represent Nigeria at the continent's biggest football party. 

Despite boasting of a strong contingent to Cameroon, the major talking points regarding the Super Eagles' list were about players interim head coach Austin Eguavoen was forced to replace. Napoli's Victor Osimhen, Watford's Emmanuel Dennis, Rangers' Leon Balogun, and Shehu Abdullahi of AC Omonia all replaced by Semi Ajayi, Tyronne Ebuehi, Peter Olayinka, and Henry Onyekuru.

With Nigeria opening their campaign with a fixture against record winners Egypt on January 11, Eguavoen will hope his chosen can step up to the party.

Here is all you need to know about Eguavoen’s 28-man squad.

Nigeria's interim manager Eguavoen would hope his squad can win the country's fourth AFCON title

1. DANIEL AKPEYI (Goalkeeper)

Club: Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa

Age: 35 years (born 3 August 1986)

Super Eagles Caps: 19 (0 goals)

Debut: March 2015 (under Coach Stephen Keshi), South Africa 1-1 Nigeria

Previous AFCONs: Egypt 2019

Previous Honours: FIFA U-20 World Cup 2005 (Silver), Nigerian Federation Cup 2011, 2012, Rio 2016 Olympic Bronze, African Cup of Nations 2019 (Bronze)

Jersey Number: 16

2. FRANCIS UZOHO (Goalkeeper)

Club: AC Omonia, Cyprus

Age: 23 years (born 28 October 1998)

Super Eagles Caps: 18 (0 goals)

Debut: November 2017 (under Coach Gernot Rohr), Argentina 2-4 Nigeria

Previous AFCONs: Egypt 2019

Previous Honours: FIFA U-17 World Cup 2013, African Cup of Nations 2019 (Bronze)

Jersey Number: 23

3. JOHN NOBLE (Goalkeeper)

Club: Enyimba, Nigeria

Age: 28 years (born 6 June 1993)

Super Eagles Caps: 0 (0 goals)

Debut: Yet to feature

Previous AFCONs: None Attended

Previous Honours: Togolese Championnat 2018/19

Jersey Number: 27

4. MADUKA OKOYE (Goalkeeper)

Club: Sparta Rotterdam, Netherlands / Watford, England

Age: 22 years (born 28 August 1999)

Super Eagles Caps: 13 (0 goals)

Debut: October 2019 (under Coach Gernot Rohr), Brazil 1-1 Nigeria

Previous AFCONs: None Attended

Previous Honours: No Titles won

Jersey Number: 1

5. WILLIAM TROOST-EKONG (Defender)

Club: Watford, England

Age: 28 years (born 1 September 1993)

Super Eagles Caps: 53 (2 goals)

Debut: June 2015 (under Coach Stephen Keshi), Nigeria 2-0 Chad

Previous AFCONs: Egypt 2019

Previous Honours: Rio 2016 Olympic Bronze, African Cup of Nations 2019 (Bronze)

Jersey Number: 5

6. KENNETH OMERUO (Defender)

Club: Leganes, Spain

Age: 28 years (17 October 1993)

Super Eagles Caps: 55 (1 goal)

Debut: January 2013 (under Coach Stephen Keshi), Nigeria 0-0 Cape Verde

Previous AFCONs: South Africa 2013, Egypt 2019

Previous Honours: AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS 2013, African Cup of Nations 2019 (Bronze), English U21 Premier League 2013/14

Jersey Number: 22

7. SEMI AJAYI (Defender)

Club: West Brom, England

Age: 28 years (9 November 1993)

Super Eagles Caps: 15 (0 goals)

Debut: September 2018 (under Coach Gernot Rohr), Seychelles 0-3 Nigeria

Previous AFCONs: None Attended

Previous Honours: No Titles won

Jersey Number: 6

8. TYRONNE EBUEHI (Defender)

Club: Venezia, Italy

Age: 26 years (16 December 1995)

Super Eagles Caps: 10 (0 goals)

Debut: November 2017 (under Coach Gernot Rohr), Argentina 2-4 Nigeria

Previous AFCONs: None Attended

Previous Honours: Portuguese Super Cup 2019

Jersey Number: 21

9. CHIDOZIE AWAZIEM (Defender)

Club: Alanyaspor, Turkey

Age: 25 years (born 1 January 1997)

Super Eagles Caps: 26 (1 goal)

Debut: June 2017 (under Coach Gernot Rohr), Nigeria 0-2 South Africa

Previous AFCONs: Egypt 2019

Previous Honours: Portuguese Super Cup 2018, African Cup of Nations 2019 (Bronze)

Jersey Number: 20

10. JAMILU COLLINS (Defender)

Club: Paderborn 07, Germany

Age: 27 years (born 5 August 1994)

Super Eagles Caps: 25 (0 goals)

Debut: October 2018 (under Coach Gernot Rohr), Nigeria 4-0 Libya

Previous AFCONs: Egypt 2019

Previous Honours: African Cup of Nations 2019 (Bronze)

Jersey Number: 3

11. OLAOLUWA AINA (Defender)

Club: Torino, Italy

Age: 25 years (born 8 October 1996)

Super Eagles Caps: 21 (0 goals)

Debut: October 2017 (under Coach Gernot Rohr), Nigeria 1-0 Zambia

Previous AFCONs: Egypt 2019

Previous Honours: African Cup of Nations 2019 (Bronze), English U21 Premier League 2013/14, English FA Youth Cup 2014, 2015, UEFA Youth League: 2014/15, 2015/16

Jersey Number: 2

12. ZAIDU SANUSI (Defender)

Club: FC Porto, Portugal

Age: 24 years (born 13 June 1997)

Super Eagles Caps: 6 (0 goals)

Debut: October 2020 (under Coach Gernot Rohr), Algeria 1-0 Nigeria

Previous AFCONs: None Attended

Previous Honours: Portuguese Super Cup 2020

Jersey Number: 12

13. OLISA NDAH (Defender)

Club: Orlando Pirates, South Africa

Age: 23 years (born 21 January 1998)

Super Eagles Caps: 0 (0 goals)

Debut: Yet to feature

Previous AFCONs: None Attended

Previous Honours: Nigerian Professional Football League 2021

Jersey Number: 26

14. WILFRED NDIDI (Midfielder)

Club: Leicester City, England

Age: 25 years (born 16 December 1996)

Super Eagles Caps: 43 (0 goals)

Debut: October 2015 (under Coach Sunday Oliseh), Nigeria 0-2 DR Congo

Previous AFCONS: Egypt 2019

Previous Honours: African Cup of Nations 2019 (Bronze), English FA Cup 2020–21, English FA Community Shield 2021

Jersey Number: 4

15. KELECHI NWAKALI (Midfielder)

Club: SD Huesca, Spain

Age: 23 years (born 5 June 1998)

Super Eagles Caps: 0 (0 goals)

Debut: Yet to feature

Previous AFCONS: None Attended

Previous Honours: FIFA U-17 World Cup 2015

Jersey Number: 25

16. CHIDERA EJUKE (Midfielder)

Club: CSKA Moscow, Russia

Age: 24 years (born 2 January 1998)

Super Eagles Caps: 6 (0 goals)

Debut: October 2020 (under Coach Gernot Rohr), Nigeria 1-1 Tunisia

Previous AFCONS: None Attended

Previous Honours: No Titles won

Jersey Number: 13

17. FRANK ONYEKA (Midfielder)

Club: Brentford, England

Age: 24 years (born 1 January 1998)

Super Eagles Caps: 4 (0 goals)

Debut: October 2020 (under Coach Gernot Rohr), Algeria 1-0 Nigeria

Previous AFCONS: None Attended

Previous Honours: Danish Superliga 2017/18, 2019/20, Danish Cup 2019

Jersey Number: 8

18. JOE ARIBO (Midfielder)

Club: Rangers, Scotland

Age: 25 years (born 21 July 1996)

Super Eagles Caps: 12 (2 goals)

Debut: September 2019 (under Coach Gernot Rohr), Ukraine 2-2 Nigeria

Previous AFCONS: None Attended

Previous Honours: Scottish Premiership 2020/21, English EFL League One play-offs 2019

Jersey Number: 10

19. AHMED MUSA (Forward)

Club: Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey

Age: 29 years (born 14 October 1992)

Super Eagles Caps: 102 (16 goals)

Debut: September 2010 (under Coach Augustine Eguavoen), Nigeria 2-0 Madagascar

Previous AFCONs: South Africa 2013, Egypt 2019

Previous Honours: AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS 2013, African Cup of Nations 2019 (Bronze), WAFU Nations Cup 2010, Russian Premier League 2012/13, 2013/14, 2015/16, Russian Cup 2013, Russian Super Cup 2013, 2014, Saudi Professional League 2018/19, Saudi Super Cup 2019

Jersey Number: 7

20. MOSES SIMON (Forward)

Club: Nantes, France

Age: 26 years (born 12 July 1995)

Super Eagles Caps: 43 (5 goals)

Debut: March 2015 (under Coach Stephen Keshi), Nigeria 0-1 Uganda

Previous AFCONs: Egypt 2019

Previous Honours: Belgian Pro League: 2014/15, Belgian Super Cup 2015, African Cup of Nations 2019 (Bronze)

Jersey Number: 15

21. ODION IGHALO (Forward)

Club: Al Shabaab, Saudi Arabia

Age: 32 years (born 16 June 1989)

Super Eagles Caps: 36 (16 goals)

Debut: March 2015 (under Coach Stpehen Keshi), Nigeria 0-1 Uganda

Previous AFCONs: Egypt 2019

Previous Honours: Chinese FA Cup 2019, African Cup of Nations 2019 (Bronze)

Jersey Number: 9

22. TAIWO AWONIYI (Forward)

Club: Union Berlin, Germany

Age: 24 years (born 12 August 1997)

Super Eagles Caps: 1 (0 goals)

Debut: October 2021 (under Coach Gernot Rohr), Nigeria 0-1 Central Africa Republic

Previous AFCONs: None Attended

Previous Honours: FIFA U-17 World Cup 2013, African U-20 Championship 2015

Jersey Number: 19

23. ALEXANDER IWOBI (Forward)

Club: Everton, England

Age: 25 years (born 3 May 1996)

Super Eagles Caps: 50 (9 goals)

Debut: October 2015 (under Coach Sunday Oliseh), Nigeria 0-2 DR Congo

Previous AFCONs: Egypt 2019

Previous Honours: English FA Cup 2016/17, English FA Community Shield 2015, 2017, UEFA Europa League runner-up 2018/19, African Cup of Nations 2019 (Bronze)

Jersey Number: 18

24. PETER OLAYINKA (Forward)

Club: Slavia Praha, Czech Republic

Age: 26 years (born 18 November 1995)

Super Eagles Caps: 2 (0 goals)

Debut: October 2019 (under Coach Gernot Rohr), Brazil 1-1 Nigeria

Previous AFCONs: None Attended

Previous Honours: Cyprus Süper Lig 2013/14, Albanian League 2014/15, Czech First League 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21, Czech Cup 2019, 2021

Jersey Number: 28

25. UMAR SADIQ (Forward)

Club: Almeria, Spain

Age: 24 years (born 2 February 1997)