AfricanFootball.com can exclusively reveal the three over-aged players coach Samson Siasia plans to take to the Rio Olympics in August – Chelsea midfielder Mikel Obi, Watford striker Odion Ighalo and Ahmed Musa from CSKA Moscow.
These are the only over-aged players on the 60-man provisional squad for the summer games, we have exclusively gathered.
This means the Olympics dreams of Lazio midfielder, Ogenyi Onazi have been dashed.
The Olympics allows for three players who are beyond the eligible age of 23 to feature.
Siasia himself reasoned Mikel, 28, is keen on playing at Rio after he missed out on Beijing Olympics in 2008.
The coach has not hidden his admiration for 26-year-old Ighalo, who he made captain for the 2009 FIFA U20 World Cup in Egypt.
He has also praised the striker’s form in front of goal even though he had struggled to score in recent weeks now for club and country.
Ahmed Musa though was a surprise choice after Siasia stripped him of the Super Eagles captaincy in March.
The CSKA Moscow flying winger looks set to quit the Russian club in the summer with the English Premier League a likely destination.
He has played at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, 2013 AFCON as well as the 2011 U-20 World Cup.
