Super Eagles of Nigeria first choice goalkeeper, Maduka Okoye has been replaced by Enyimba FC goalkeeper, John Noble due to an illness.
This was confirmed by the Twitter handle of the Super Eagles as he was wished speedy recovery.
The Sparta Rotterdam shot stopper was in the provisional squad to be between the stakes for Nigeria against Ghana, but with the recent development, he will not be part of the squad. According to multiple reports, the 22 year old goalie tested positive to Covid while trying to get on board a flight to Nigeria .
John Noble has started only four games for Enyimba this season, playing a total of 339 minutes. In those games, he has kept only one clean-sheet, conceding four goals. An average of 1.0 goals per match.
Noble who was part of the finalized squad list for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, is yet to make an appearance for the Super Eagles main team, and has been an unused substitute on eight occasions for the Super Eagles.
This change will be the second Interim Coach and Technical Adviser Austine Eguavoen will be making to his squad as he earlier had to replace injured Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and call up Lorient ace Innocent Bonke.
Qatar 2022 Qualifiers: Enyimba goalkeeper Noble replaces Okoye in Nigeria squad
The Super Eagles will hold their first training session at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja on Tuesday evening by 6:30pm
Three-time African champions Nigeria and four-time African champions Ghana tango at the 40,000 capacity Baba Yara Stadium on Friday evening, in the first leg of a potentially explosive fixture in which both teams will battle for a single ticket to the 22nd FIFA World Cup finals.
At lunchtime on Tuesday, 18 of the 25 invited players had arrived at The Wells Carlton Hotel and Apartments. Five others are being expected on Tuesday evening, with only Leicester City of England playmaker Ademola Lookman and new invitee John Noble expected on Wednesday morning.
PLAYERS IN CAMP
Daniel Akpeyi ( Kaizer Chiefs, Goalkeeper)
Francis Uzoho (AC Omonia, Goalkeeper)
William Troost-Ekong (Watford, Defender)
Shehu Abdullahi (Omonia, Defender)
Leon Balogun (Rangers, Defender)
Semi Ajayi (West Brom, Defender)
Calvin Bassey (Rangers, Defender)
Ola Aina (Torino, Defender)
Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Defender)
Frank Onyeka (Brentford, Midfielder)
Oghenekaro Etebo (Watford, Midfielder)
Joe Aribo (Rangers, Midfielder)
Innocent Bonke (Lorient, Midfielder)8
Odion Ighalo (Al-Hilal, Forward)
Ahmed Musa (Faith Karagümruk, Forward)
Emmanuel Dennis (Watford, Forward)
Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, Forward)
Moses Simon (Nantes, Forward)
Friday’s encounter in Kumasi will be the 58th clash between the two countries’ senior teams, with 18 of those matches have ended in draws. The first encounter was on 20th October, 1951, which Nigeria lost 5-0.
The last time both teams were involved in a FIFA World Cup qualifying fixture was in 2001, with both seeking a spot at the Korea/Japan 2002 finals. The opening leg at the Accra Sports Stadium was stalemated 0-0, before Nigeria won the return 3-0 inside the Liberation Stadium in Port Harcourt on 29th July, 2001.
Their last meeting, a friendly match that was staged in London on 11th October 2011, ended 0-0.
