The Nigeria Football Federation have announced the Super Eagles provisional squad list for the upcoming international friendlies against Mexico and Ecuador with three goalkeepers, ten defenders, eight midfielders and nine strikers making the cut.

However, these two friendly matches are Part of the Super Eagles Preparation ahead of their  opening Clash against Leone Stars.

CAF has confirmed that Moshood Abiola National stadium, Abuja to be used for the 2023 AFCON qualifiers Matchday 1 and 2.

The last meeting between the two West African Nations was a 4-4 draw, played at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium, Benin City, on, November 2022.

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Sierra Leone is in Group A, where they will face three-time Champions, Nigeria, Guinea Bissau, Sao Tome or Mauritius, hoping to make successive Africa Cup of Nations appearances.

The thirty invited players represent a total of twenty four different clubs. Watford and Glasgow Rangers have contributed the most players with three each, followed by Enyimba and Rivers United with two players each.

Nigeria’s coach for the friendlies, Salisu Yusuf has picked two home based players in each department. Goalkeepers Adewale Adeyinka (Akwa United) and Ojo Olorunleke (Enyimba FC), defenders Isa Ali (Remo Stars) and Ibrahim Buhari (Plateau United), midfielders Chiamaka Madu (Rivers United) and Babatunde Afeez Nosiru (Kwara United), strikers Victor Mbaoma (Enyimba FC) and Ishaq Rafiu (Rivers United).

Including the aforementioned Nigeria Professional Football League players, one other player has a chance to make his international debut for the Super Eagles A team, with Royal Antwerp midfielder Alhassan Yusuf also receiving his maiden call-up to the senior national team.

Twelve players were part of the squad that reached the last sixteen of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and fifteen were on the finalized roster for the 2022 World Cup playoff against Ghana in March.

Nantes winger Moses Simon has been involved in the last fourteen matches played by the Super Eagles A team, the only player in the current squad to do so.

The most experienced player on the roster, Fatih Karagumruk star Ahmed Musa is in line to make his 31st appearance in a friendly when the Super Eagles take on Mexico, more than any other player in the squad.

Musa, Leon Balogun and Abdullahi Shehu are the only survivors from the Super Eagles matchday squad that held Mexico to a goalless draw in March 2014.

 

Nigeria’s 30-man  provisional squad for friendlies

Goalkeepers: Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands); Adewale Adeyinka (Akwa United); Ojo Olorunleke (Enyimba FC)

 

Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Abdullahi Shehu (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Isa Ali (Remo Stars); Chidozie Awaziem (Alanyaspor FC, Turkey); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Ibrahim Buhari (Plateau United)

 

Midfielders: Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Oghenekaro Etebo (Watford FC, England); Chiamaka Madu (Rivers United); Babatunde Afeez Nosiru (Kwara United); Azubuike Okechukwu (Yeni Malatyaspor, Turkey); Samson Tijani (Red Bull Salzburg, Austria); Alhassan Yusuf (Royal Antwerp FC, Belgium)

 

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Ademola Lookman (Leicester City, England); Sadiq Umar (UD Almeria, Spain); Emmanuel Dennis (Watford FC, England); Cyriel Dessers (Feyenoord FC, The Netherlands); Victor Mbaoma (Enyimba FC); Ishaq Rafiu (Rivers United)