The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has cleared the air on the omission of Leicester City star, Ademola Lookman for the recently released Super Eagles 28-man squad for the forthcoming AFCON in Cameroon.
The NFF in an official statement released on Thursday 30th December 2021, on their official social media handle, stated that Ademola Lookman who has indicated interest to switch his footballing allegiance from the Three Lions of England to Nigeria, is yet to be cleared by the world football governing body, FIFA to play for Nigeria.
The statement reads:
“NFF has stated categorically that Ademola Lookman of Leicester City FC OF England has not yet been cleared by World Football body, FIFA to represent Nigeria at International level. The process for his switch is ongoing.”
The NFF also debunked the rumour that Ademola Lookman was dropped from the AFCON 28-man list, despite his hot red form for his club Leicester City, by the newly appointed interim technical adviser for the Super Eagles, Eguaveon.
“It is therefore incorrect for any medium to claim that interim Head Coach Austin Eguavoen is the one who axed the player from Nigeria’s final list of 28 for the Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon 2021.
However, his name was included in the initial provisional list with the belief that the process would have been completed before the commencement of Afcon,” the statement added.
The Super Eagles AFCON List:
Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Cyprus); John Noble (Enyimba FC); Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, The Netherlands)
Defenders: Chidozie Awaziem (Alanyaspor FC, Turkey); Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain); Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); William Ekong (Watford FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Torino FC, Italy); Jamilu Collins (SC Padeborn 07, Germany); Abdullahi Shehu (AC Omonia, Cyprus); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Olisa Ndah (Orlando Pirates, South Africa)
Midfielders: Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Galsgow Rangers, Scotland); Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Chidera Ejuke (CSKA Moscow, Russia); Kelechi Nwakali (SD Huesca, Spain).
Forwards: Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey); Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal FC, Spain); Victor Osimhen (Napoli FC, Italy); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Sadiq Umar (UD Almeria, Spain); Taiwo Awoniyi (Union Berlin, Germany); Odion Jude Ighalo (Al-Shabab Riyadh, Saudi Arabia); Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Emmanuel Dennis (Watford FC, England)