2019 AFCON: Super Eagles Final 23man List - Kelechi Iheanacho and Semi Ajayi Dropped!

Coach of Nigeria national team Gernot Rohr, has confirmed his 23-man list going to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) the following week.

Kelechi Iheanacho and Semi Ajayi are the two players that have been dropped

It was a difficult decision to make, but we just have to trim down the team to 23 players. We have to drop Kelechi Iheanacho and Semi Ajayi for the following reasons:

Both players did not feature on Saturday as Nigeria were held to a 0-0 draw by Zimbabwe in an international friendly played in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

Explaining his decision for dropping the duo from Super Eagles 23-man final squad, Rohr was quoted as saying: ”You cannot judge from one game in these conditions. We already have our opinion before the match because we observed them throughout the season and we saw what they did and also all week in the training sessions.

”We had seven training sessions to see the fitness, confidence of the players. It’s not this match alone that will give us a decision on the two players [Kelechi Iheanacho and Semi Ajayi] we have to drop.”


Rohr added: ”You see that we played with seven strikers, all the strikers who deserve to play. We started with 3 strikers, the others came in.

”Normally in a match you cannot bring so many strikers. We played with a lot of offensive players.

”We have Chukwueze, Kalu, Henry, Osimhen, Paul, Simon also. The choice of dropping two players is really difficult for me.”

Final 23-man List
Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (Anorthosis Famagusta, Cyprus); Ikechukwu Ezenwa (Katsina United); Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa)

Defenders: Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Abdullahi Shehu (Bursaspor FC, Turkey); Chidozie Awaziem (Caykur Rizespor, Turkey); William Ekong (Udinese FC, Italy); Leon Balogun (Brighton & Hove Albion, England); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany)

Midfielders: Mikel John Obi (Middlesbrough FC, England); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Oghenekaro Etebo (Stoke City FC, England); John Ogu (Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Israel)

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Al Nassar FC, Saudi Arabia); Victor Osimhen (Royal Charleroi SC, Belgium); Moses Simon (Levante FC, Spain); Henry Onyekuru (Galatasaray SK, Turkey); Odion Ighalo (Shanghai Shenhua, China); Alexander Iwobi (Arsenal FC, England); Samuel Kalu (Girondins Bordeaux, France); Paul Onuachu (FC Midtjyland, Denmark); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain)