News Investigators/ Super Eagles captain, Wilfred Ndidi, forward, Moses Simon, and goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, headline Nigeria’s 24-man squad for a friendly against Russia.
Head Coach, Éric Chelle, released the squad on Thursday for the encounter scheduled for Oct. 6 at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Russia.
Ndidi will captain the squad, with Simon, Nwabali, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Benjamin Fredricks, Raphael Onyedika and Akor Adams also included.
Chelle also handed first senior national team call-ups to Finland-based goalkeeper, Samuel James, and Switzerland-based defender, Victory Akpe.
The squad features six midfielders and three forwards who are set to enter the Super Eagles camp for the first time.
Nigeria’s goalkeeping options comprise Michael Atata of Ikorodu City, James of SJK FC, Finland, and Nwabali of Chippa United, South Africa.
The defenders are Kenneth Igboke, Isaac James, Fredricks, Emmanuel Fernandez, Akpe, Osayi-Samuel and Abdullahi Bewene.
Igboke plays for Enugu Rangers, while Isaac James represents Alverca FC of Portugal and Fernandez features for Glasgow Rangers, Scotland.
Akpe plays for FC Basel, Switzerland, while Osayi-Samuel represents Birmingham FC and Bewene plays for FC Banik Ostrava, Czechia.
In midfield, Ndidi of Besiktas FC leads Onyedika, Chibuzo Nwoko, Stephen Michael, Igor Wilfred, Ridwan Abdulrasaq, Suleiman Mubarak and Aderemi Adeoye.
Onyedika plays for Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany, while Nwoko represents Fulham FC and Michael features for Vendsyssel FF, Denmark.
Wilfred plays for Kristiansund FC, Norway, Abdulrasaq represents Al Wasl, UAE, while Mubarak and Adeoye play for Slavia Prague and Ikorodu City, respectively.
The forward line comprises Kelechi Iheanacho, Simon, Adams, Peter Edokpolor, Abubakar Umar and Abdullahi Umar.
Iheanacho plays for Bursaspor FC, Turkey, Simon represents Paris FC, France, while Adams features for Venezia FC, Italy.
Edokpolor plays for SL Benfica, Portugal, with Abubakar Umar at FC Famalicao and Abdullahi Umar at Hradec Kralove, Czechia.
The friendly against Russia will provide Chelle with an opportunity to assess players ahead of Nigeria’s forthcoming international engagements.
NAN
