Super Eagles head coach, Jose Peseiro, clarified the exclusions of Ahmed Musa and William Troost-Ekong from the squad for the upcoming friendlies against Saudi Arabia and Mozambique. Musa, the team captain, and vice-captain Troost-Ekong were absent from the 25-man roster released last week due to specific reasons explained by Peseiro.
Peseiro emphasized that both players remain integral to the team. Musa’s absence was attributed to visa-related challenges, preventing him from joining the squad. On the other hand, Troost-Ekong was deliberately omitted as Peseiro wanted to assess another defender, Torunarigha.
During a press conference before the friendly against Saudi Arabia, Peseiro clarified, “Ahmed Musa did not come because of the problem with a visa, didn’t get a visa. Ekong is an option; he belongs to the group but for this camping, I decided I need to check Torunarigha.” Peseiro further justified his choices, indicating that the quality of Troost-Ekong is acknowledged, and he can be considered for the next camp.
In the coach’s view, the limited slots available in the squad led to decisions in favor of newer players like Chidozie, who joined recently, emphasizing that he could only select up to 25 players.
