Super Eagles’ former winger, Emmanuel Amuneke has faulted the inclusion of current national team captain, Ahmed Musa in the latest list of invitees released by the coach, Gernot Rohr, as he says the winger-cum-attacker is match-rusty, megasportsarena.com reports.
With Musa currently clubless, after mutually terminating his contract with Al-Nassr of Saudi Arabia last summer, comments have been critical about his inclusion in the Eagles’ list for upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, and Amuneke is acquiescing with those verdicts.
The former FC Barcelona of Spain and 1994 African Footballer of the year reckoned that it is professionally and psychologically wrong to include Musa in the roster to face Benin Republic away on March 27 and home to Lesotho four days later, considering that the attacker has not played actively football in over four months.
With that premise in mind, Amuneke went on to charge Rohr to correct the anomaly by extending invites to active players instead, especially as Musa’s selection has generated controversy from all sectors of the game, with critics noting that he has been without a club since October.
While in-form Racing Genk of Belgium striker, Paul Ebere Onuachu misses out for the umpteenth time, Musa is a surprise inclusion as he has been without a club since October, but Rohr has often maintained he will not consider players who are not active at their clubs, as the Eagles prepare to conclude the qualifying series for the 2022 AFCON in Cameroon.
SSC Napoli striker, Victor Osimhen has been recalled, despite recently having to endure a shoulder injury on international duty that sidelined him for more than three months, Coronavirus as well as a number of controversies since his record transfer to Italy from French club Lille.
He has netted four goals in the qualifiers thus far and has been invited alongside UD Almeria of Spain’s in-form hitman, Sadiq Umar has been on blistering form for Almeria in the Spanish second division having scored 14 goals as his club look set to return to the top league.
Noble was the hero when Enyimba edged past fellow Nigerian club Rivers United on penalties to qualify to the group stage of the CAF Confederation Cup.
He is the only player based in the domestic league on the main squad and he has been listed alongside Sparta Rotterdam goalkeeper Maduka Okoye and Francis Uzoho, who was the country’s No 1 at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The full list of invitees has three goalkeepers in Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam/NED), Francis Uzoho (Apoel Nicosia/CYP) and John Noble (Enyimba), as well as eight defenders: William Ekong (Watford/ENG), Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes/SPA), Leon Balogun (Rangers/SCO),Chidozie Awaziem (Boavista/POR), Jamilu Collins (Paderborn/GER), Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto/POR), Ola Aina (Fulham/ENG), Tyronne Ebuehi (FC Twente/NED)
There are also five midfielders:Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City/ENG), Oghenekaro Etebo (Galatasaray/TUR), Semi Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion/ENG), Shehu Abdullahi (Omonia Nicosia/CYP) and Joe Aribo (Rangers/SCO), as well as eight forwards: Ahmed Musa (no club), Moses Simon (FC Nantes/FRA), Alex Iwobi (Everton/ENG), Samuel Kalu (Bordeaux/FRA), Victor Osimhen (Napoli /ITA), Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City/ENG), Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal CF/SPA), Sadiq Umar (UD Almeria/SPA)
Those placed on standby, to replace any invited player that withdraws or suffers iinjuries, are Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs/RSA), Paul Onuachu (Genk/BEL), Terem Moffi (FC Lorient), Henry Onyekuru (Galatasaray/TUR), Michael Olise (Reading/ENG), Peter Olayinka (Slavia Prague/Czech), Adekunle Adeleke (Abia Warriors).
The Eagles lead their qualifying group with eight points, closely followed by Benin, who have seven points, while Sierra Leone have three points with only the top two teams advancing to the tournament proper, but Amuneke opined that Musa should not have been invited by Rohr.
Amuneke, who led the Golden Eaglets to Cadet World Cup glory in 2015 and was an assistant coach to former striker, Samson Yebowei Siasia for a 2017 AFCON qualifiers loss to Egypt, posited: “Professionally and morally, Ahmed Musa should not be on the list.
“He is not engaged in a competitive league. He should not have been invited. He has given so much to the country and was probably brought in to motivate the younger players in the team. It’s for the coach to give reasons why he invited this player.”
