International Friendlies: Ndidi, Awoniyi return for Super Eagles games against Ghana Black Stars and Les Aigles of Mali in Morocco
Leicester City midfielder, Wilfred Ndidi and Nothingham Forest striker, Taiwo Awoniyi top the list of players the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, has invited for the two international friendly games against Ghana’s Black Stars and Les Aigles of Mali in the Moroccan city of Marrakech later this month.
Both Ndidi and Awoniyi missed the 34th Africa Cup of Nations which ended last month in Cote d’Ivoire due to injuries but the duo will be back in the Eagles nest for the two high grade friendly games which will serve as preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers which resume in June.
Also back in the team is Real Sociedad forward, Umar Sadiq who left the team AFCON 2023-bound team in a haze of controversy after the medical team wrongly diagnosed his injury on the eve of the competition.
The player however returned to training with his before Nigeria played its first AFCON 2023 game and played in the next game just after Nigeria’s first group game.
Bayer Leverkusen’s Nathan Tella is also in the list after he was cut from the list of players for the competition in Cote d’Ivoire.
Outside the quartet, Nigeria have retained the bulk of the squad that finished as runners-up Cote d’Ivoire, but have also recalled England-based defender Jamilu Collins, as well as Empoli FC of Italy’s Tyronne Ebuehi and Glasgow Rangers’ forward Cyriel Dessers.
England-based defender Gabriel Osho and Tanzania-based Benjamin Tianimu are teaming up with the group for the first time.
The clash with Ghana’s Black Stars, which comes up on Friday, 22nd March, is bound to resurrect vintage memories of a 73-year rivalry involving the West African giants, dating back to October 1951 when Nigeria bounced then Gold Coast 5-0 in a Jalco Cup encounter in Lagos.
Most recently, the two teams clashed in March 2022 in a two-legged play-off for a place at that year’s FIFA World Cup finals in Qatar, with the Black Stars edging the fixture on the away-goal rule after a 1-1 aggregate.
All The Invited Players:
Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Ojo Olorunleke (Enyimba FC).
Defenders: Gabriel Osho (Luton FC, England); Chidozie Awaziem (Boavista FC, Portugal); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce FC, Turkey); Tyronne Ebuehi (Empoli FC, Italy); Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal).
Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa FC, Turkey); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Jamilu Collins (Cardiff City, Wales); Benjamin Tianimu (Ihefu SC, Tanzania).
Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Alhassan Yusuf (Royal Antwerp FC, Belgium); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England).
Forwards: Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Victor Osimhen (SSC Napoli, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad, Spain); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France).
Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Hatayspor, Turkey); Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest, England); Cyriel Dessers (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland).
