Nigeria Football Squad – AFCON 2024 Squad List
The Nigerian football squad’s 2013 AFCON win in South Africa wasn’t surprising, given their golden generation. Unexpectedly, they failed to qualify for the next two tournaments. Now, the three-time champions are strong contenders for the AFCON 2024 title in Ivory Coast.
Nigeria AFCON 2024 Squad and Latest Odds
In AFCON 2024, Nigeria aims to surpass other African teams with the largest contingent of foreign-based players. Top betting sites offer competitive odds on the Nigeria football team. We’ll regularly update squad odds from our preferred online bookmaker for accuracy.
The NFF and Head Coach Jose Peseiro unveiled players for the Nigeria football squad in AFCON 2024.
Announced Goalkeepers
Stanley Nwabili (Chippa United)
Francis Uzoho (Omonoia FC)
Olorunleke Ojo (Enyimba Aba)
Announced Defenders
William Troost-Ekong (POAK FC) – potential absence
Bright Osayi Samuel (Fenerbahce SK)
Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest)
Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto)
Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC)
Semi Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion)
Calvin Bassey (Fulham)
Chidozie Awaziem (Boavista FC)
Kenneth Omuero (Kasimpasa SK)
Announced Midfielders
Frank Onyeka (Bentford FC)
Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Southampton FC)
Alex Iwobi (Fulham)
Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge KV)
Alhassan Yusuf (Royal Antwerp FC) – ruled out of the Guinea-Bissau match
Announced Forwards
Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City)
Victor Oshimen (SSC Napoli)
Terem Moff (replacing Victor Boniface) (OGC Nice)
Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan)
Ademola Lookman (Atalanta BC)
Moses Simon (FC Nantes)
Paul Onuachu (replacing Sadiq Umar) (Trabzonspor)
Ahmed Musa (Sivasspor)
Nigeria football players
From recent investigations, the Nigeria football squad ranked as the most expensive national team in Africa. The Super Eagles boast a lot of quality, especially in the attack, with players spread across the European top leagues.
Here, we discuss some of the big names in the Nigeria football squad, detailing their achievements, skills and potential impact on the team’s performance.
Victor Oshimen
The 24-year-old Nigerian is currently one of the most prolific strikers in football, having ranked 8th in the 2023 Ballon d’Or. His outstanding performance in the 2022/2023 season was significant in Napoli’s title triumph, their first Scudetto in 33 years. It was a season that saw him score 26 goals to claim the Italian capocannoniere award.
Oshimen has replicated the form in the Nigerian national team, scoring 10 goals in six AFCON qualification games. He took his tally to 20 goals for the Super Eagles, 17 behind Rashid Yekini, the highest goalscorer in Nigeria football history.
The SSC Napoli striker has been nominated for the African Best Player of the Year alongside two-time winner Mohammed Sallah and one-time winner Riyad Mahrez. If Oshimen becomes victorious, he will become the first player in Nigeria’s football history to win the award since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999.
The former LOSC Lille forward will look to inject some spark into the Nigerian squad ahead of AFCON 2024.
Kelechi Iheanacho
Kelechi Ihaeanacho was part of the Nigeria U17 (Golden Eaglets) 2013 World Cup winning team in the United Arab Emirates. Even more, he was named best player of the tournament and runner-up on the goalscoring charts. The Leicester City forward made his national team debut in 2015 following a dream move to Manchester City.
Senior man, as he is nicknamed, has represented the Super Eagles in the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2021 AFCON. The 27-year-old attacker plays club football at English Championship side Leicester City alongside compatriot Wilfred Ndidi. Known for his ball control, composure, and passing ability, he is favoured to play behind the striker. Victor Oshimen and Victor Boniface will rely on senior man’s experience and vision to create goal-scoring chances.
Strengths and Opportunities of the Squad
The Super Eagles have been drawn in AFCON Group A with hosts Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, and Guinea-Bissau. The group’s top two teams will automatically qualify for the knockout stages. The Nigeria football squad have maintained an absolute qualifying record from the group stages since AFCON 1982 in Libya. Even more interestingly, except for the last edition in Cameroon, the team avoided elimination in the round of 16 stage of the competition.
Here, we discuss some strengths of the Nigeria nation team, which can give them an edge in the tournament.
Strong Attack
The strength and depth in Nigeria’s attack has been seen in previous selections by the national team coach. Unlike other African teams, Jose Paseiro has an extensive list of attackers to choose from across European top leagues. This is similar to Nigeria women’s football, who also boasts a solid attacking force.
SSC Napoli’s talisman and the current holder of the Italian Golden Boot, Victor Oshimen, will lead the attack line. Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface, Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman, and OGC Nice’s forward Terem Moffi will be looking to make their AFCON debut. Other notable names in the Nigeria attacks include Kelechi Iheanacho, Samuel Chukwueze, Mosses Simon, and Umar Sodiq.
The team will be unstoppable when this attacking force is combined perfectly with the right motivation and support from the midfield.
Solid Midfield
Generally, Nigerian midfielders possess significant athleticism, physicality, versatility, and technical ability. They play a crucial role in intercepting the opposition’s attack and linking the defence with the attack. Experienced Leicester City defensive midfielder Wilfred Ndidi will coordinate the middle with his tactical awareness and effective ball distribution. Moreover, he will be assisted by Brentford’s Frank Onyeka, who has been impressive for the Super Eagles as well as his club side.
Another notable name in Nigeria’s midfield is Fulham’s Alex Iwobi. The Nigerian number 18 has consistently been deployed in the middle, which is different from his favourite attacking position. Nevertheless, the 27-year-old has been impressive, showcasing excellent vision and versatility since his debut in 2015.
Positive Attitude and Mental Strength
Beyond the squad depth and individual quality, the Nigeria football squad prides itself on mental strength and team spirit. The positive attitude has come in handy in previous editions of the biennial continental tournament, especially when a result is needed. As an example, Nigeria came from behind to defeat the Lions of Cameroon in the AFCON 2019 round of 16. Nigeria tapped into their mental strength to produce a five-goal thriller against favourites Cameroon, scoring two goals in three minutes. Also, Nigeria’s National female football team frequently displays a similar positive attitude as they lead the women’s football in Africa.
Who is Nigeria football manager
Jose Paseiro is the Super Eagles head coach. He is a former Portuguese striker who has previously coached Venezuela’s and Saudi Arabia’s national teams. The 62-year-old took over from local coach Augustine Eguavoen.
Prominent Players Missing from the Squad
While the Nigerian football squad list for AFCON 2024 is yet to be released, you can expect some prominent names to be missing. Here, we discuss some of the notable players missing the tournament.
Taiwo Awoniyi
Awoniyi was replaced in the 58th by Terem Moffi in the World Cup qualifiers draw against Lesotho in Akwa Ibom. The striker returned to his club, Nottingham Forest, for further assessment, ruling him out for months due to a groin injury. The Nigeria football squad will feel the absence of the big striker, as he was pivotal to Nigeria’s AFCON qualifications.
Wilfred Ndidi
Regrettably, Nigeria’s midfield linchpin, Wilfred Ndidi, will be a notable absence in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) due to an injury suffered during Leicester City’s 2-0 win over Cardiff City on December 29. Despite the pivotal role the 27-year-old plays, both his club and the Nigerian Football Federation have kept the injury details under wraps. This leaves a void that Belgian-based Alhassan Yusuf steps in to fill.
Victor Boniface
Bayer Leverkusen dealt a blow on Tuesday the 9th of January, announcing the sidelining of Nigerian talent Victor Boniface until early April due to a knee injury. The 23-year-old, a standout for the Bundesliga leaders with 10 goals and 7 assists in 16 league games, suffered the setback during the Super Eagles’ training camp in Abu Dhabi. Nice striker Terem Moffi is a potential replacement, pending approval from CAF and his club.
This compounds Nigeria’s AFCON challenges, with notable absentees including Taiwo Awoniyi of Nottingham Forest and Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi. The Super Eagles commence their AFCON campaign against Equatorial Guinea on January 14 at 4 pm Cairo Local Time.
