The football governing body congratulated the Al-Hilal of Saudi Arabia striker on its official twitter handle on Friday.
Browsing: Odion Ighalo
Other regulars whose names are missing on the list are; Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, Ola Aina, Leon Balogun, Emmanuel Dennis, Taiwo Awoniyi and Shehu Abdullahi.
Osimhen has been in excellent form for Napoli during the 2022-23 campaign, scoring 21 goals and registering four assists in 26 appearances in all competitions.
Super Eagles’ First Assistant Coach, Salisu Yusuf, rather opted for Captain Ahmed Musa and forward Moses Simon.
Ighalo, who joined Al Hilal from Al Shabab in January, has been in inspiring form for the Saudi Arabian side since moving.
At their first training session ahead of the two big games, captain Ahmed Musa, deputy captain William Ekong, defender Abdullahi Shehu and forwards Odion Ighalo and Victor Osimhen expressed delight with the turn-around of the turf and admitted it enabled the team to roll the ball the way they wanted.
Nigeria will take on Ghana on Friday in the first leg of the playoff before engaging them in Abuja on Tuesday for the second leg.
Other players that have so far arrived their Abuja camp are Leon Balogun, Semilogo Ajayi, Ola Aina and Frank Onyeka.
The forward despite missing out on a place at the 2021 TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations tournament, has been recalled to his national team for the all-important two-legged tie against the West African giants.
The Nigerian attacker had a perfect dress-rehearsal for the Super Eagles’ World Cup qualifiers against Ghana, slated for Kumasi exactly a week from now.
The contest remained balanced with Nassr twice denying Ighalo, his first attempt being blocked by goalkeeper Waleed Abdullah before defender Ramiro Funes Mori intervened to block another effort from the Super Eagle.
The former Manchester United striker departed Al Shabab in acrimonious circumstances in the January transfer window.
Ighalo, who initially retired from international football after the last AFCON in 2019, returned to national team football action last year.
Ighalo was included in Nigeria’s 2021 AFCON squad after coming out of retirement, but the former Manchester United striker could not honour the call up because of club issues.
The Nigeria striker, who was on loan with Manchester United a little over a year ago, was on the scoresheet on debut as Hilal beat Al Jazira 6-1 at the Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium.
The former Watford striker will now feature in the colour of his new club Al Hilal until June 2023.
Saudi Arabian club, Al Shabab, has refused to release the striker for the AFCON after they claimed they received his invitation late.
The FIFA Under 17 World Cup winner gave the assurance in a chat with NFF TV on Sunday.
The 32-year-old former Manchester United and Watford striker, top scorer at the last Nations Cup in 2019, was initially given a deadline of Tuesday to confirm his availability by interim Super Eagles coach Augustine Eguavoen.
Manager Eddie Howe is looking to upgrade his forward options in January – with help from the club’s ultra-rich Saudi owners – and Ighalo is one of many players the former Bournemouth boss is looking at.