Nigerian professional footballer Oghenekaro Peter Etebo is not participating with Nigeria in their Afcon 2021 squad, the reason: his Premier League club Watford want him to focus on his rehabilitation from injury.
Peter Etebo went through a thigh injury in September which curtailed his impressive start to life with the Hornets.
BBC reported: ‘The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and interim coach Austin Eguavoen had hoped to include the experienced Etebo in his squad even if he was not fit enough to play in all the Super Eagles matches.’
This was despite the fact that Napoli striker Victor Osimhen who had suffered a violent facial injury in November was added to the Cameroon team after he declared himself fit. (We wrote about it here: Victor Osimhen gets face bashed in during match causing severe facial injury)
READ MORE: Nigeria reveals Afcon 2021 team
Nigeria squad for Afcon 2021
Goalkeepers: Daniel Akpeyi (Kaizer Chiefs, South Africa), John Noble (Enyimba), Maduka Okoye (Sparta Rotterdam, Netherlands), Francis Uzoho (Omonia Nicosia, Cyprus).
Defenders: Ola Aina (Torino, Italy), Chidozie Awaziem (Alanyaspor, Turkey), Leon Balogun (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Jamilu Collins (Paderborn, Germany), Olisa Ndah (Orlando Pirates, South Africa), Kenneth Omeruo (Leganes, Spain), Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal), Abdullahi Shehu (Omonia Nicosia), William Troost Ekong (Watford, England).
Midfielders: Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland), Chidera Ejuke (CSKA Moscow, Russia), Alex Iwobi (Everton, England), Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England), Frank Onyeka (Brentford, England), Kelechi Nwakali (Huesca, Spain).
Forwards: Taiwo Awoniyi (Union Berlin, Germany), Samuel Chukwueze (Villarreal, Spain), Emmanuel Dennis (Watford, England), Odion Ighalo (Al Shabab, Saudi Arabia), Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England), Victor Osimhen (Napol, Italyi), Moses Simon (Nantes, France), Sadiq Umar (Almeria, Spain), Ahmed Musa (Fatih Karagumruk, Turkey).