AFCON Qualifiers: Eguaveon Unleashes Osimhen, Boniface, Lookman On Benin, Rwanda

Three lethal Super Eagles forwards, Victor Osimhen, Victor Boniface and Ademola Lookman have been included, as interim manager, Austin Eguavoen, named 25-man killer squad to confront the Cheetahs of Benin Republic and Amavubi of Rwanda in the two last matches of the qualifiers for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

In the list are Captain William Ekong, Atalanta of Italy’s Ademola Lookman and winger Moses Simon

Nigeria will be gunning for perfect score lones and getting all available points in the duel with the Nigerian western neighbors, Benin.

For the duel holding in Abidjan, Austin Eguavoen invited reigning 19 other players including goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali and Maduka Okoye, defenders Calvin Bassey and Bright Osayi-Samuel.
Others are  midfielders Frank Onyeka, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi.

The strikers include Kelechi Iheanacho, Victor Boniface and Samuel Chukwueze.

Home-based defender Victor Collins will join up with the group for the first time, and there is a return for gangling forward Sadiq Umar, who plays for Real Sociedad in Spain.  

 The  defenders  called up include Olaoluwa Aina.  Bruno Onyemaechi and
France-based Gabriel Osho will hope to play his first competitive game for fatherland, after his inability to honour a first call-up in the summer due to injury.

The Super Eagles will fly directly to Abidjan on 11 November, for the confrontation with the Cheetahs of Benin Republic at the Stade Felix-Houphouet-Boigny on Thursday, 14th November, before traveling down to Uyo for the final qualifying game against the Amavubi of Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium on Monday, 18th November.

Currently top of their Group D, the Super Eagles will be certain of a place in the final tournament if they get a point against the Cheetahs, which will take then to 11 points, and with only final-day opponents Rwanda capable of catching up with them on points.
However, with a current tally of seven goals for and none against (following the CAF Disciplinary Board’s award of three points and three goals for the botched Matchday 4 encounter against Libya), the Super Eagles stand head and shoulders above the Amavubi, who have one-goal deficit and five points in their favour going into the final two matchdays.

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Amas Obasogie (Fasil Kenema SC, Ethiopia)

Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood FC, Saudi Arabia); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce SK, Turkey); Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal); Gabriel Osho (AJ Auxerre, France); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Victor Collins (Nasarawa United)

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Lazio FC. Italy); Frank Onyeka (Augsburg FC, Germany); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England)

Forwards: Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Sevilla FC, Spain); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad, Spain)