Positives and Negatives from Jose Peseiro’s 25-man AFCON squadlist

Yesterday, the coach of the Nigerian National team, Jose Vitor Peseiro, released the names of the players representing the country at the forthcoming AFCON tournament held in Ivory Coast next year.

With a few notable omissions and widely unexpected inclusions, Soccernet.ng takes a look at the picks of the Super Eagles head coach to state the positives and the negatives of the players set to do it again next year.

Positives:

1. Leadership and Experience

The average age of the squad stands at 26.36, and for a fairly young team, the coach’s inclusion of experienced players in the team was vindicated. Ahmed Musa and Kenneth Omeruo were a part of the team that won the 2013 AFCON edition of the tournament, and the leadership of both players will help tutor the younger players in the team.

2. Plethora of attacking options

Victor Osimhen, Victor Boniface, Ademola Lookman, Sadiq Omar, and Kelechi Iheanacho amongst others, show the abundance of attacking threats the Super Eagles pose up front.

Osimhen and Boniface, set to pair up front in Peseiro’s 4-4-2 formation, have been in good goalscoring form for their club side, and if the coach can harness such fine form, the Super Eagles are set to soar high in Ivory Coast.

Negatives:

1. Absence of home-based players

Only one home-based player was included in Jose Peseiro’s squad. Goalkeeper of NPFL Champions Enyimba F.C. and Olorunleke Ojo were the only ones to make the list, with no outfield NPFL player included in the list.

In comparison, the last time Nigeria won the tournament, six home-based players were fielded by the then-Nigerian coach, Stephen Keshi.

The home-based players proved pivotal as Sunday Mba scored the goal that won the tournament in the final, and Geoffrey Oboabana was rock solid at the back alongside 20-year-old Kenneth Omeruo. With the exclusion of outfield home-based players, many Nigerian fans feel the good luck charm that aided the team in 2013 might be off in Ivory Coast next year.

2. The goalkeeping problem persists

Stanley Nwabali, Olorunleke Ojo, and Francis Uzoho were the goalkeepers named by the Portuguese tactician. Nwabali has a cap under his belt. Meanwhile, Ojo has yet to make an appearance for the national team, hinting that Uzoho will most likely be Peseiro’s preferred goal choice at the AFCON tournament.

In recent times, the performances of the Omonia S.C. goalkeeper for the national team have not been great, and his inclusion in the team, with no other recognised goalkeeper set to rival him for the starting berth, has Nigerian football fans worried.

3. The midfield options are thin

The profiles of the midfield players in Peseiro’s team are quite worrisome. Frank Onyeka, Raphael Onyedika, and Wilfred Ndidi are destroyers. Meanwhile, Joe Aribo and Alex Iwobi are attacking midfielders.

The absence of a creative box-to-box profile in the middle of the park puts too much burden on the strikers and the wingers to create chances. It could also mean some midfielders would have to play out of position where they’d be less effective, and an injury to a player would leave the space void.

This post was last modified on December 30, 2023 8:23 pm

Adefolahan Guerreiro

Adefolahan is a multilingual journalist and writer at Soccernet Nigeria. With a track record of involvement in College sports, Adefolahan is focused on crafting engaging football content and utilising his language skills and extensive sports knowledge to enhance content accessibility for a global audience. He has interviewed Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.

Share
Published by
Adefolahan Guerreiro

Recent Posts

17-year-old Nigeria-eligible defender pens professional deal with Chelsea

Teenage English sensation, Olutayo Peter Subuloye, has penned his first professional contract with two-time UEFA… Read More

59 minutes ago

Raphael Onyedika: Club Brugge boss reveals why Super Eagles star was not selected for Union Saint-Gilloise draw

Super Eagles midfielder Raphael Onyedika was not dressed up for Club Brugge's league game against… Read More

1 hour ago

WATCH: Lazio star Fisayo Dele-Bashiru dances in the face of racist insults in Lecce

Lazio midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru became the latest victim of racial abuse in football during Lazio’s… Read More

3 hours ago

“I am satisfied” – Home-based Super Eagles coach confident his side will seal CHAN spot

Head coach of the Super Eagles B team, Daniel Ogunmdede, has backed the home-based Nigerian… Read More

3 hours ago

“Every game is a battle” – Nigeria’s Lookman warns Lazio after firing Atalanta to Empoli win

Super Eagles star Ademola Lookman has warned Lazio to be ready for battle when the… Read More

4 hours ago

NPFL: Shooting Stars end ugly 20-year record against Rangers as Remo Stars, Abia Warriors record big wins

Matchday 18 games of the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) were played across the country… Read More

5 hours ago