Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) giants Enyimba FC have saluted their goalkeeper Olorunleke Ojo for earning a place in the Super Eagles’ final squad for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Ojo was part of the 25-man squad named by Jose Peseiro to represent the country at the tournament, which will be hosted in the Ivory Coast.
He joins Omonia Nicosia’s Francis Uzoho and Chippa United’s Stanley Nwabali as the three goalkeepers selected for the upcoming tournament.
Enyimba wish Ojo the best at AFCON
Ojo has been ever present for Enyimba this season and has been a key figure as the Elephants occupy the fourth position on the league log.
The 28-year-old has also been one of the finest shot-stoppers on the local scene in recent years, with his consistency catching the attention of the technical handlers of the Super Eagles.
With Ojo included in Nigeria’s final 25-man squad for the AFCON, his club took to the microblogging site X (formerly Twitter) to congratulate him.
“From manning the sticks for the Elephants to the biggest stage on the continent with @NGSuperEagles for the upcoming African Cup of Nations,” Enyimba wrote.
“Best wishes Ojo from all of us at Enyimba FC. Best wishes Baba Oba Meji. Let’s do it again.”
Nigeria’s AFCON squad divides opinion
Meanwhile, the squad selected by Peseiro for the AFCON divided opinion amongst Nigerians following some controversial inclusions and exclusions.
The omissions of Terem Moffi and Alhassan Yusuf have particularly raised eyebrows due to the brilliant form of the duo for their clubs, while the decision to include the inactive Ahmed Musa in the squad has been criticised in some quarters.
Nigeria, though, will be hoping that their lethal strike force, led by Victor Osimhen and Victor Boniface, will be able to make up for the deficiencies in other areas, as they aim for a fourth AFCON title.
The Super Eagles would, however, first have to navigate a tricky group that contains hosts Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau and Equatorial Guinea to live up to their tag as favourites.
