Rohr Confirms Lookman, Ejaria In Nigeria’s Provisional Squad For AFCON 2021

 

By Izuchukwu Okosi

Super Eagles head coach Gernot Rohr has confirmed that the duo of Ademola Lookman and Ovie Ejaria will be named in his 40 man provisional squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon to be held in January 2022.

 

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) recently increased the number of players to be named by each squad from 23 to 28 making it possible for new players to make the cut for the first time.

 

The application for the international eligibility of Everton forward Lookman, and Reading FC’s Ovie Ejaria from England to Nigeria is ongoing and could be processed early enough to guarantee the players being part of the Afcon squad.

 

Rohr spoke in an interview with Elegbete TV about the chances of the Nigerian born youngsters.

 

“Yes, we are in touch, he’s in our scouting program, we are seeing every weekend what they are doing,” the Franco-German stated.

 

“We have around 30, 35 players and now I have to do a list already for the AFCON of 40 names because CAF is asking for that so we have until the beginning of November now to put together this list of 40 players.

 

“Lookman and Ejaria of course are part of it, and then this competition we have to watch what they are doing at the clubs and the people who are doing very well in the clubs have always a chance to come into our team.

 

The two members were part of the England squad that won the 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup.

 

Ejaria trained with the Golden Eaglets class of 2013 which included the likes of current Super Eagles players Kelechi Iheanacho, Taiwo Awoniyi and Francis Uzoho, but was omitted from the final roster to the United Arab Emirates.