Izuchukwu OkosiWith less than a month to the kick-off of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivorie, the 24 teams participating at the tournament have been mandated to send their provisional squads to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
The final squad of 27 players (can be 23 as it is optional to increase the number) must be declared on Wednesday, 3rd January 2024.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelWith the AFCON beginning January 13th, all teams are expected to arrive like 48 hours before the big kickoff.
The clubs of the national team players would not release them on time in the midst of their seasons abroad and that also poses uncertainty in the eventual makeup of the teams.
In Nigeria, there is a provisional list of 40 players making the rounds in some sections of the media.
There was an expectation that the preliminary squad would be made up of 55 players but we have been here before.
In the past, numerous squad lists have been released to the public and most times they end up being false or perhaps tweaked.
People with vested interests had in the past come up with their lists in the hope that all kinds of agendas would be set for the coaching crew and to some extent the leadership of the Nigeria Football Federation.
The Nigeria Football Federation Communications Director, Demola Olajire has not officially announced the Super Eagles provisional list ahead of the Afcon via the channel that the media receive information about the Glass House and various national teams and events.
Nonetheless, the technical crew of the Super Eagles or the Nigeria Football Federation, as the case may be, has to spare the football faithful the agony of waiting ‘endlessly’ for what is the official team list.
The delay in releasing the official provisional squad could be unconnected with the desire to get a team of players that will be fit for the tournament.
However, further non-disclosure of an official squad would naturally lead to speculation that there is a surreptitious move to squeeze in undeserving players whose average form/quality or desperation will be inimical to the team and country at large.
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
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