Siasia releases Olympic squad list

Nigeria Under-23 head coach Samson Siasia has released his 18-man football squad for the Rio 2016 Olympics.

The squad will look to replicate the heroics of the 1996 Olympic side who won gold in Atlanta.

Super Eagles captain John Obi Mikel is the most experienced of the lot and goes in as one of the over-aged players alongside goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi.

Team captain Azubuike Okechukwu made the cut and so did Usman Mohammed, Sincere Seth and Junior Ajayi.

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AS Roma’s Sadiq Umar, William Troost-Ekong and Kingsley Madu are the newbies in the team, while there is a shock omission for Taiwo Awoniyi, who was only named as an alternative player alongside goalkeeper Mohammed Yusuf, Stanley Dimgba and Godwin Saviour.

Nigeria are grouped alongside Japan, Colombia and Sweden in the group stage of the football event of the 2016 Rio Olympics.

FULL SQUAD

Goalkeepers: Daniel Akpeyi, Emmanuel Daniel

Defenders: Sincere Seth, William Troost-Ekong, Saturday Erimuya, Kingsley Madu, Shehu Abdullahi, Ndifreke Udo Effiong, Stanley Amuzie

Midfielders: John Obi Mikel, Okechukwu Azubuike, Usman Mohammed, Saliu Popoola

Strikers: Junior Ajayi, Oghenekaro Etebo, Aminu Umar, Sadiq Umar, Imoh Ezekiel

Stand-by: Stanley Dimgba, Godwin Saviour, Yusuf Bala, Awoniyi Taiwo