Ex-England youth international Akpom set to make Eagles debut
By Olaolu Joseph
The final 23-man list of players for Nigeria’s senior national team, the Super Eagles, for their crucial World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe is expected to be announced next week.
Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has released a 35-man provisional list for both games but has also identified a core group of 23 players who are likely to make the final cut, barring injuries or fitness concerns.
It has been exclusively gathered that the former Malian coach has made an adjustment to the final list, with newly signed Lille forward Chuba Akpom receiving his first call-up to the team.
Akpom, who represented England at various youth levels before switching allegiance to Nigeria three years ago, has been included as a replacement for an injured player whose identity remains undisclosed.
Since moving to Lille from Dutch giants Ajax, Akpom has scored two goals in his first three games. While at Ajax, he netted three goals in 16 appearances.
