BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

There is a first senior call for Spain –based forward Sadiq Umar as the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF unveiled the squad that will play in the last two qualifying matches of the Africa Cup of Nations later this month.

The invitation means that Umar, who starred for the U-23 Nigerian side at the Rio 2016 Olympics and scored four goals in Nigeria’s bronze medal finish could make his senior debut this month.

Gernot Rohr’s first choice goalkeeper, Francis Uzoho is back in the squad.

Sports Village Square recalls that Uzoho was last in action for the Super Eagles at the 13 October 2019 friendly duel with Brazil in Singapore. He made an awkward landing after making a save in the 63^rd minute of the encounter that ended 1-1.

Joining him in the Super Eagles’ squad for the matches against Benin Republic and Lesotho is a goalkeeper in the domestic league, John Noble of Enyimba. German-born Maduka Okoye of Sparta Rotterdam in The Netherlands completes the trio of invited goalkeeper.

Daniel Akpeyi is confined into the reserve list alongside seven other outfield players that include Adekunle Adeleke of Abia Warriors in the domestic league.

The rest are the usual suspects that include the unattached skipper of the side, Ahmed Musa. In the 24-man list are deputy captain, William Ekong, Wilfred Ndidi and forward Victor Osimhen.

Also included are, defenders Leon Balogun, Kenneth Omeruo and Olaoluwa Aina, midfielders Oghenekaro Etebo and Joseph Ayodele-Aribo, and forwards Alex Iwobi, Moses Simon, Samuel Chukwueze and Abdullahi Shehu who is listed as a midfielder this time.

Nigeria, top of the Group E log with eight points (one ahead of Benin Republic and five more than third-placed Sierra Leone), tackle the Squirrels away at the Stade Charles de Gaulle in Porto Novo on Saturday, 27^th March and will lock horns with the Crocodiles of Lesotho at the Teslim Balogun Stadium, Lagos three days later. Both are the concluding games of the qualifying series.

Seven players, including long –time goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi, are on standby.

Rohr, who has steered Nigeria to qualifying for two major tournaments (2018 FIFA World Cup and 2019 Africa Cup of Nations) with a game to spare, countenance even better accomplishment this time, as the Eagles could earn a ticket to the finals in Cameroon before kick-off in Porto Novo, should Lesotho and Sierra Leone end their encounter in Maseru in a stalemate. The result would be known before kick-off in Porto Novo.

THE FULL LIST

Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (APOEL Nicosia, Cyprus); John Noble (Enyimba FC); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands)

Defenders: Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Chidozie Awaziem (FC Boavista, Portugal); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Fulham FC, England); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Tyronne Ebuehi (FC Twente, The Netherlands)

Midfielders: Oghenekaro Etebo (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Abdullahi Shehu (Omonia Nicosa, Cyprus); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England)

Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Unattached); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Sadiq Umar (Almeria FC, Spain); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Victor Osimhen (Napoli FC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Samuel Kalu (FC Girondins Bordeaux, France); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France)

Standby: Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa); Henry Onyekuru (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Peter Olayinka (Slavia Praha, Czech Republic); Terem Moffi (FC Lorient, France); Paul Onuachu (KRC Genk, Belgium); Michael Olise (Reading FC, England); Adekunle Adeleke (Abia Warriors)