Nigeria will be among the favourites to conquer Africa again when the continental championships kick off in January
Al-Fayha forward Henry Onyekuru has confessed his desire to be a part of the Super Eagles squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, Soccernet.ng reports.
Onyekuru was in the Nigerian team that won a bronze medal at the 2019 AFCON in Egypt, and he was also included in the Super Eagles squad that crashed out in the knockout round of the 2021 tournament in Cameroon.
The former Everton signing has, however, been excluded from national team duties since Jose Peseiro was appointed as manager in May 2022.
Peseiro has preferred Atalanta's Ademola Lookman and Nantes' Moses Simon on the left flank and AC Milan's Samuel Chukwueze on the right wing over the last 18 months.
It does not look like that situation will change heading to the commencement of the AFCON in January.
Still, Onyekuru has refused to lose hope of getting a late Super Eagles call-up despite the low ratings Nigerians ascribe to the Saudi Arabian league.
“I was there at the last AFCON in Cameroon, and I am really pushing to be there again,” Onyekuru told Arab News.
“In Nigerian football, there is still this negative mentality about the Saudi league – they don’t think it is as intense.
“But I think they should be able to see that now. The players who play here make it competitive. I am not giving up, and anything can happen.”
Onyekuru was in action at the weekend as Anthony Nwakaeme's goal handed Al-Fayha a crucial 1-0 away win at Al Fateh.
The former Monaco star has three goals and two assists in 14 league games for Al-Fayha.
Thank you Henry Onyekuru for your interest in playing for Super Eagles. Let us all note that the national team is a collection of the best players a country has at any given time. If we are patriotic, there are some players, relatively few, who are supposed to be in Super Eagles but you are not amongst them. On the left wing position you are not amongst the best two, to say the least.
We watched your matches in Turkey, Greece and now Saudi Arabia. I’m sorry to say, you need a lot of improvement. Please focus on yourself and improve. If you do this you’ll be invited to the Super Eagles. I wish you success in your career.