Nigeria coach Jose Peseiro will be putting final touches on his squad list for next week’s 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match against Guinea-Bissau.
Peseiro is expected to announce his team for the double-header game by the end of the week with the Super Eagles scheduled to begin camping on Monday.
Afrosport takes a look at five of the best-performing Nigerian players around the world yet to feature for the three-time African champions but could get a chance this month.
With the stellar performances of players like Napoli’s leading marksman Victor Osimhen, Leicester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho, and Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman, the Portuguese manager will have a plethora of options to select from.
- Gift Orban
Gift Emmanuel Orban is one name that has recently been on everyone’s lips with a succession of important displays for his Belgian club side Gent.
The 20-year-old forward, who joined the Buffalos from Norwegian outfit Stabaek in the winter window, has consistently churned out clutch performances, most recently netting four goals in his side’s 6-2 win over Zulte Waregem in the Belgian Pro League last Sunday.
He was the top scorer in the Norwegian Eliteserien last year with 16 goals and seven assists, subsequently earning him the honour of the league’s Young Player of the Year.
Orban has found the back of the net nine times in eight appearances so far this season for Gent, including three times in the Europa Conference League.
For the Guinea-Bissau game, the dynamic forward can provide another dimension for the Eagles, as his pace and low center of gravity makes him a tough nut to crack for opposition defenders.
- Victor Boniface
Victor Boniface is another young Nigerian forward who is doing well in Europe with yet another Belgian side, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise.
Boniface, a graduate of Real Sapphire football academy based in Lagos, moved to Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in 2019 before securing a four-year transfer to Belgium.
The 22-year-old has an eye for goals, with two in his last game against Union Berlin in the Europa League and 19 goals and seven assists in 41 games across four competitions this season.
- Chuba Akpom
Though not as young as the aforementioned duo, Akpom has been one of the best-performing Nigerians in Europe this season.
The former Arsenal forward has netted 24 goals for Middlesbrough this campaign, including 23 goals in the English Championship, where he is the current top scorer and spearheads Boro’s ongoing resurgence since the arrival of former Manchester United captain Michael Carrick.
Akpom, who announced his decision to play for the Super Eagles in an interview with the BBC in 2019, is yet to make an appearance for the Nigerian senior national team and is due a much-deserved call up.
- Ifeanyi Emmanuel
A goalscoring center back who is also very solid on the defensive side of things with his aerial process and ball winning abilities, Ifeanyi has been ever-present in Plateau United’s backline this season.
The former MFM defender has helped the Jos-based side to two clean sheets and is the team’s highest goal scorer with four goals as they sit fourth in Group B of the abridged Nigeria Premier Football League season.
He also recently won Plateau United’s player of the month award for January for his outstanding performances and can be valuable to Jose Peseiro’s Super Eagles following the injury to first-choice center back and assistant captain William Troost Ekong and also amid the clamours for opportunities to be given to home-based players.
- Bruno Onyemaechi
Although naturally a center-back, the Portugal-based defender is versatile and can play as a left-back and a left wing-back.
Onyemaechi received his first call-up to the Super Eagles in November 2022, but he was an unused substitute in their friendly match against Portugal, which ended in a 4-0 defeat for Nigeria.
However, the Boavista loanee is deserving of another call-up as he is one of the few Nigerian defenders with a guaranteed spot in their club side, helping them to six clean sheets in all competitions this campaign so far.
