Balogun, Maduka missing in Peseiro’s provisional 40-man list for AFCON

Victor Boniface and Taiwo Awoniyi were in action for the Super Eagles against The Crocodiles of Lesotho in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Photo: Imago

Leon Balogun, who has been one of the regulars in the Super Eagles since he made his debut for Nigeria in 2014, and the national team’s number one goalkeeper at the Cameroon 2021 edition of the African Cup of Nations, Maduka Okoye, are among players missing in Coach Jose Peseiro’s provisional list for the Cote d’Ivoire 2024 edition of the continent’s biggest football showpiece.

All the qualified teams are required to forward to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) a provisional list of players for the competition. It is from this list that the countries would choose their final 27 players for the competition.

Apart from Okoye and Balogun, who just helped Glasgow Rangers to win the Scottish Cup last weekend, the other notable absentee is Odion Ighalo, who made a brief return to the Super Eagles in the build up to the ill-fated Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifier against Ghana.

Injured Taiwo Awoniyi is unsurprisingly missing from the squad, as he is not expected to have healed properly before the January 13, 2024 kickoff of the Nations Cup. But Super Eagles’ Captain, Ahmed Musa, who has not played any major role for the team in the last two years, as well as former Golden Eaglets’ captain, Kelechi Nwakali, are included.

In the 40-man squad are six goalkeepers, 13 defenders, eight midfielders and 13 attackers.

The goalkeepers in the provisional list are Francis Uzoho, Adebayo Adeleye, Ojo Olorunleke, Stanley Nwabali, Amas Obasogie and Christian Nwoke.

Ola Aina, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Tyronne Ebuehi, Jamilu Collins, Zaidu Sanusi,Bruno Onyemaechi, William Troost-Ekong, Semi Ajayi, Calvin