Osimhen, Boniface to lead Nigeria's attack at AFCON 2023 in Ivory Coast

Africa's player of the year Vctor Osimhen will lead Nigeria's array of attacking talent for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations after coach Jose Peseiro named a 25-man squad for the tournament in Ivory Coast.

The 25-year-old Osimhen became the first Nigerian man to win the continent's top individual prize since 1999, and he also finished eighth in the 2023 Ballon d'Or. The Napoli striker missed out on the 2021 finals through a combination of injury and Covid-19.

Also named in the squad is Bayern Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface. The 22-year-old Nigerian striker has led the way with 16 goals and eight assists in all competitions this season.

The 2023 AfCON finals begin on 13 January and will end on 11 February.

The Super Eagles, three-time African champions (1980, 1994, 2013) are drawn in Group A alongside Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and Guinea-Bissau. Nigeria who last won the Afcon title in 2013 under the late Stephen Keshi are considered one of the favourities for the tournament in Ivory Coast.