Afcon 2023: Stephen Odey calls for more NPFL players inclusion in Nigeria rosters

Former MFM FC striker Odey feels more home-based players should be given opportunities in the country’s senior national team ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Cote d’Ivoire..

The 25-year-old striker currently plies his trade at Danish club FC Randers, had been one of the Nigeria Premier Football League’s best goalpoachers in the 2016/17 season before moving to Europe in 2017.

Odey made his national team debut while playing in the NPFL but has been out of the national team since 2017 and was not considered for Nigeria’s AFCON squad.

Jose Peseiro has released his final 25-man list for the showdown in Cote d’Ivoire starting from January 13 to February 11.

With one home-based player in the Super Eagles AFCON squad, Odey believes that the players in the league should get more chances.

“I feel NPFL players have the quality to play at the AFCON, It’s just about giving them the opportunity,” Odey said, per Tobi Adepoju.

“If you give them the opportunity, they are going to do their best as well because football is not about playing in Europe or Nigeria.

“It’s about the quality in us. We saw this during the 2013 Nations Cup when Sunday Mba was in Nigeria’s squad despite playing in the local league at the time.”