OLYMPIC Eagles head coach Salisu Yusuf has invited Gift Orban and 15 other players based overseas for the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations final qualifying round tie against Guinea.
Nigeria will host the Guineans in
the first leg of the tie at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, Abuja on Wednesday, with the return leg billed for Rabat, Morocco on March 28.
The Abuja clash will kick off at 4pm, while the second leg at the Complexe Sportif Prince Heritier Moulay Al Hassan is set to start at 6pm Nigerian time.
The return leg is in Morocco because Guinea does not have any venue approved in the country for international matches by the Confederation of African Football.
Orban, 20, has recently emerged as one of the best young players in Europe, scoring 12 goals in nine appearances for Gent in the Belgian Pro League and the UEFA Europa Conference League.
The striker netted seven goals in his last two matches, four in a Belgian top flight game last weekend and a hat-trick in a Conference League victory on Wednesday as Gent advanced to the quarter-finals.
Yusuf’s list of invitees also includes captain Success Makanjuola, whose two penalties against Tanzania earned the 1996 Olympic gold medallists passage to this final round.
There are also midfielder Abiodun Ogunniyi and Bello Babatunde, as well as Portugal-based Simon Omon.
The winners of the tie on aggregate will qualify for the U-23 Africa Cup of Nations scheduled for Morocco later this year, at which Africa’s representatives at the Paris 2024 Olympics men’s football event will emerge.
Guinea’s delegation for the encounter in Abuja is expected to arrive in Nigeria later today.
INVITED PLAYERS:
Success Makanjuola (FK Liepaja, Latvia); Bello Babatunde (Future FC, Egypt); Isaiah Ejeh (Mjallby Alf, Sweden); Abiodun Ogunniyi (FK Auda, Latvia); Monsuru Opeyemi Abdullahi (FC Vizela, Portugal); Omole Akinyinka Olaoluwakitan (Athletic Newham, UK); Owen Tega Udoh (UD San Sebastian Reyes, Spain); Azeez Temitope Yusuf (Mjallby Alf, Sweden); Charles Uba (Lillestrom FC, Norway); Simon Omon (Clube Operation Desportivo, Portugal); Ihekuna Maximillian Ugochukwu (FC Sfintul Gheorghe Suruceni, Moldova); Chukwudi Goodluck Igbokwe (KAA Gent, Belgium); Abass Saidi (Zagalata FC, Azerbaijan); Ibrahim Buhari (IF Elfsborg, Sweden); Gift Emmanuel Orban (KAA Gent, Belgium); Samuel Amadi (Eramica Cleopatra, Egypt)
