Dessers and the key players missing from Super Eagles squad list released by Eguavoen

2 weeks ago 3

Coach Augustine Eguavoen recently announced the Super Eagles squad list for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualification fixtures
The 23-player list announced by the interim manager, however, features a few notable absentees from the team
We shine the spotlight on a list of notable players missing from the squad list announced by the Super Eagles coach

Interim Super Eagles coach Augustine Eguavoen has released the squad list for Nigeria’s upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification matches.

Currently leading their group, Nigeria is set to face the Republic of Benin and Rwanda's Amavubi team.

The squad list includes a strong core of the team’s regulars, but some selections have sparked discussions among fans and stakeholders.

Players of the Super Eagles of Nigeria pose for a group photo

Notably, the list—published on the team’s official social media channels—includes the return of Sadiq Umar and Auxerre defender, Gabriel Osho.

Given Nigeria’s near-certain qualification for the AFCON tournament in Morocco, many fans had anticipated that Eguavoen would call up other Nigerian players excelling at their clubs. As a result, the absence of certain in-form players has raised some eyebrows.

In light of this, we take a closer look at the notable players missing from the squad list announced by coach Eguavoen.

Notable absentees from Super Eagles squad list

Cyriel Dessers

The 29-year-old is one of several players excluded from the team list published by the Super Eagles manager.

Dessers' omission has sparked significant conversation, particularly considering he has been on a better run of form compared to the other strikers invited ahead of him.

According to data from Fotmob, the Rangers forward has racked up 10 goal involvements in his 18 appearances so far.

Taiwo Awoniyi

Nottingham Forest forward Taiwo Awoniyi is another notable omission from the squad list published by coach Eguavoen.

The 27-year-old has been a mainstay in the Nigerian setup in recent years, making his absence particularly surprising.

While some may attribute his exclusion to his reduced playing time at Forest, it’s worth noting that Awoniyi has still logged more minutes than both Kelechi Iheanacho and Umar.

Tolu Arokodare

The 23-year-old is another of the most notable names omitted from the Nigerian squad list.

In the recent transfer window, coach Eguavoen praised the Genk forward’s outstanding form, mentioning that he was among the players being closely monitored by the Super Eagles team.

Arokodare has impressed with 10 goal involvements in just 14 appearances for his Belgian club this season. However, to the surprise of many, coach Eguavoen has opted to call up the underperforming duo of Iheanacho and Umar instead of the Belgian league sensation.

Criticism of the interim coach’s squad selection stems largely from the fact that Nigeria needs only one point from the two upcoming games to secure its spot in the Morocco tournament.

Additionally, discussions have arisen about using one of the qualification fixtures as a pseudo-friendly to prepare for the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers.