Libya/Nigeria: Afcon Qualifiers - Iheanacho, Ejuke Join Super Eagles in Uyo Ahead of Libya Clash
The Super Eagles will host the Mediterranean Knights at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Friday, 11 October,
The Sevilla duo of Kelechi Iheanacho and Chidera Ejuke have arrived at the Super Eagles camp in Uyo ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Libya.
The arrival of the duo, which was confirmed on the Super Eagles' official X page on Wednesday, suggests all the invited players for the double-header against Libya are now in town though no official communication was made concerning Bright Osayi-Samuel linking up with the team in Uyo.
Different strokes
The invitation of Iheanacho and Ejuke for the games against Libya has elicited mixed reactions, with many faulting the former while thumbing up the inclusion of the latter due to his reinvigorated form in the Spanish La Liga.
Iheanacho has played in five La Liga games in 2024/2025 overall and accumulated 272 minutes of playing time.
He has started in three of these appearances across their nine fixtures and has been used as a substitute on two occasions.
Iheanacho last made an appearance in a league game on 29 September, playing 59 minutes for Sevilla versus Athletic Club in a 1-1 draw.
The attacker is yet to find the net this season in the league.
For Ejuke, the 26-year-old has appeared in eight La Liga matches in 2024/2025 overall and played 498 minutes.
He has been selected in the starting XI in five of these appearances across their nine fixtures and entered as a substitute on three occasions.
Ejuke, voted as his club's Player of the Month for September, last featured in a league game on 6 October, playing 89 minutes for Sevilla against Real Betis in a 1-0 win.In total, the attacker has netted one La Liga goal this term.
His only goal came in the 2-1 victory against Real Valladolid on 24 September.
After their national team duties, up next for Iheanacho and Ejuke in the LaLiga is a difficult trip to Barcelona on 20 October
Preparation continues
The Super Eagles had their first official training on Tuesday, and the team, under the tutelage of Coach Augustine Eguavoen alongside his assistants Fidelis Ilechukwu and Daniel Ogunmodede, will step up preparation with another session on Wednesday.
The Super Eagles will host the Mediterranean Knights at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Friday, 11 October, before flying to Benghazi to take on the Knights at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium, 19 kilometres away from Benghazi, on Tuesday, 15 October.
Full List of Invited Players:
Goalkeepers:
Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa)
Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy)
Amas Obasogie (Fasil Kenema SC, Ethiopia)
Defenders:
William Ekong (Al-Kholood FC, Saudi Arabia)
Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce SK, Turkey)
Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal)
Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England)
Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England)
Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England)
Benjamin Tanimu (Crawley Town, England)
Midfielders:
Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England)
Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium)
Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA)
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Lazio FC, Italy)
Frank Onyeka (Augsburg FC, Germany)
Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England)
Forwards:
Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy)
Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla FC, Spain)
Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy)
Kelechi Iheanacho (Sevilla FC, Spain)
Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)
Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France)
Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest, England)
This article originally appeared in the Nigerian Times.