Yeah, the coach in that tournament was that white guy Gernot Rohr.
He named a 23-man squad for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations, which took place in Egypt.
The Super Eagles can be said to have been lucky as they were drawn in Group B alongside Burundi and Madagascar, who participated in the tourney for the first time in their history, as well as Guinea.
Rohr’s Super Eagles squad for AFCON saw the inclusion of Premier League based-players Leon Balogun, Wilfred Ndidi, and Alex Iwobi.
Team captain John Obi Mikel also made the Nigeria AFCON 2019 squad list alongside Chelsea loanee Ola Aina, William Ekong of Udinese, and Villarreal forward Samuel Chukwueze.
Before this tournament, Mikel’s last game for the Super Eagles was at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
He was absent all through the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
In short, Mikel was forced to make that AFCON completion his last outing for Nigeria.
Nigeria had failed to qualify for the last two tournaments and so 20 of the players on the squad to Egypt made their first appearances in the competition.
The majority of the squad that Rohr featured at the 2018 World Cup in Russia are named in Nigeria squad for AFCON 2019.
Let’s now take a look at the AFCON 2019 Super Eagles squad.
Nigeria Squad For 2019 African Cup Of Nation
| Goalkeepers | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Akpeyi | South Africa | Kaizer Chiefs | 1986-08-03 | ||
| Ikechukwu Ezenwa | 1988-10-16 | ||||
| Maduka Okoye | Netherlands | Sparta Rotterdam | 1999-08-28 | ||
| Sebastian Osigwe | Switzerland | FC Lugano | 1994-03-26 | ||
| Defenders | |||||
| Ola Aina | England | Fulham FC | 1996-10-08 | ||
| Semi Ajayi | England | West Bromwich Albion | 1993-11-09 | ||
| Kevin Akpoguma | Germany | 1899 Hoffenheim | 1995-04-19 | ||
| Ifeanyi Anaemena | 1992-02-16 | ||||
| Chidozie Awaziem | Portugal | Boavista | 1997-01-01 | ||
| Leon Balogun | Scotland | Rangers FC | 1988-06-28 | ||
| Jamilu Collins | Germany | SC Paderborn 07 | 1994-08-05 | ||
| Tyronne Ebuehi | Netherlands | FC Twente | 1995-12-16 | ||
| Kingsley Ehizibue | Germany | 1. FC Köln | 1995-05-25 | ||
| Kenneth Omeruo | Spain | CD Leganés | 1993-10-17 | ||
| Zaidu Sanusi | Portugal | FC Porto | 1997-06-13 | ||
| William Troost-Ekong | England | Watford FC | 1993-09-01 | ||
| Midfielders | |||||
| Mikel Agu | Portugal | Vitória Guimarães | 1993-05-27 | ||
| Joe Aribo | Scotland | Rangers FC | 1996-07-21 | ||
| Ramon Azeez | Spain | Granada CF | 1992-12-12 | ||
| Peter Etebo | Turkey | Galatasaray | 1995-11-09 | ||
| Wilfred Ndidi | England | Leicester City | 1996-12-16 | ||
| Abdullahi Shehu | Cyprus | Omonia Nikosia | 1993-03-12 | ||
| Forwards | |||||
| Samuel Chukwueze | Spain | Villarreal CF | 1999-05-22 | ||
| Emmanuel Dennis | Belgium | Club Brugge KV | 1997-11-15 | ||
| Cyriel Dessers | Belgium | KRC Genk | 1994-12-08 | ||
| Chidera Ejuke | Russia | CSKA Moskva | 1998-01-02 | ||
| Kelechi Iheanacho | England | Leicester City | 1996-10-03 | ||
| Alex Iwobi | England | Everton FC | 1996-05-03 | ||
| Samuel Kalu | France | Girondins Bordeaux | 1997-08-26 | ||
| Ahmed Musa | Saudi Arabia | Al Nassr | 1992-10-14 | ||
| Paul Onuachu | Belgium | KRC Genk | 1994-05-28 | ||
| Victor Osimhen | Italy | SSC Napoli | 1998-12-29 | ||
| Moses Simon | France | FC Nantes | 1995-07-12 | ||
| Manager | |||||
| Gernot Rohr | since 05/02/2018 | 1953-06-28 |
The three-time champions of Africa were one of the favourites to win the 2019 African Cup of Nations but unfortunately Rohr and his men fumbled at the semifinal against Algeria and Riyad Mahrez punished the Super Eagles goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi for standing right behind the defense wall he formed and Nigeria ended up winning 3rd place one more time.
This post was first published on GoalBall.
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