Aribo, Osimhen and other notable snubs in the Super Eagles squad against Algeria

Super Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro has named a 25-man squad for Nigeria's international friendly clash against Algeria later this month. 

The 25 players will prosecute the game, which will take place at Oran Olympic Stadium in Algeria on September 27, with kickoff set for 8 pm Nigerian time. 

Peseiro invited most of the Super Eagles regulars, including Alex Iwobi, William Troost-Ekong, Leon Balogun, Ahmed Musa and Wilfred Ndidi, who has not played for Nigeria since January. 

But while the squad is full of familiar faces, there are some notable absentees, and some players who deserved a call-up were also not invited. 

Pulse Sports Nigeria takes a look at some of these players. 

The notable name missing from the list is the one and only Victor Osimhen. Osimhen is arguably the Super Eagles' biggest star right now, but he will not take part in the friendly against the former African champions. 

However, his absence has to do with injury and not Peseiro's choice. The 23-year-old is currently out for four to six weeks after picking up a hamstring injury in Napoli's 4-1 win against Liverpool. 

As a result, Osimhen will miss the chance to continue his quest to overtake Rashidi Yekini as Nigeria's all-time top scorer, having moved up the ladder following his four-goal haul against Sao Tome and Principe last time out. 

Nonetheless, he will continue his quest when the Super Eagles take on Portugal in November. 

Aribo's absence is a strange one, considering only four midfielders were invited, with two being defensive midfielders. Since making his debut in 2019, Aribo has been one of the key players in the Super Eagles squad, which is why his omission calls for questioning. 

However, it could be because he wants to settle down at his new club after joining Southampton from Rangers in the summer. He has endured a mixed start so far, but the international break may allow him to acclimate himself more to his new environment. 

Sadiq would have been a dead cert to make the squad, which is surprising, considering he only made his Super Eagles debut in January. However, like Osimhen, Sadiq also misses out due to an injury.

The Nigerian international damaged his knee in Real Sociedad's 2-1 loss to Getafe, and he is set to be out for the rest of the season. It means Sadiq will not get the chance to wear Nigeria's colours until September next year. 

David Okereke is not a notable absentee, considering he has never played for Nigeria before. However, his absence is still a strange one because he has had a better season than his Cremonese teammate Cyriel Dessers, who was invited. 

Dessers was called up for Nigeria's matches in May and June, which was fully deserved, having finished as the top scorer in the UEFA Europa Conference League. 

However, he has not done enough to justify his call-up this time. He is yet to score a goal for Cremonese since joining them from Genk in the summer. In contrast, Okereke, who also joined the newly-promoted Serie A club in the summer, has two goals in the Italian top flight. Given his ability to play anywhere in the frontline, Okereke should have been invited. 

Emmanuel Dennis may not be everyone's cup of tea, considering the jury is still out on him, and he has not started the season well after joining Nottingham Forest in the summer.

Still, it is a surprise to see him left out of the squad when Ahmed Musa is included. Well, I guess that's what being a captain grants you, even though you are past it.