Outrage in São Tomé as Coach Drops Home-based Players for Nigeria Clash

 *Coach Peseiro, Boniface, Orban amongst early arrivals as Uyo camp opens 

Femi Solaja  with agency report

Local clubs in São Tomé & Príncipe are protesting the exclusion of their players as the national team coach, Adriano Eusebio, presented for the first time ever, an all-foreign-based players in a competition. 

São Tomé & Príncipe will face the Super Eagles on Sunday in Uyo, attempting to save face after a string of four loses and a draw in preceding five qualifying matches of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. 

Owing to the fact that all 22 players listed for the Nigerian challenge are based outside the country, local clubs reacted with astonishment, remembering that this is the first time in the history of São Tomé football, no player who plays in domestic championships is on the guest list. 

Adriano Eusébio told local outlet, Téla Nón that the absence of the “nationals” (players who play in the main national competitions) was due to the fact that the call-up is a preview for the next qualifying games for the World Cup qualifiers. 

For the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, São Tomé & Príncipe are in Group H along with Tunisia, Equatorial Guinea, Namibia, Malawi and Liberia. 

“This call is already thinking about the World Cup qualifying games that start in November, we have to take into account that, at this time, we will not have championships in the country and the players will be in vacation mode”. 

Eusébio added that, with the growing wave of emigration, the team lost the base core that was made up of players who played in the main national championships, so, in the need to build a team of continuity and that provides guarantees, it turned 100% to the diaspora . 

It should be noted that Sunday’s game is the second ever between the two countries. In the first match played last year in Morocco, Nigeria won 10-0, the biggest win that the national team has recorded in 74 years since first constituted in 1949. 

Meanwhile, Head Coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles,  Jose Peseiro, arrived in Uyo  yesterday ahead of the dead-rubber AFCON 2023 clash Sao Tome and Principe.

The Portuguese gaffer had amongst early birds in camp to include, Victor Boniface and Gift Orban while the bulk of Europe-based players are expected to stream into the Akwa Ibom State capital from today.

Adriano Eusébio’s São Tomé & Príncipe players:

GOALKEEPERS: Ronaldo Silva, Pedro Mateus, Feher Mendes 

DEFENDERS:  Adjakson Ramos, Rogério Fernandes, Elias Varela, Adjeil Neves, Lúcio Oliveira, Leonildo Soares, Auleocarcio Sacramento 

MIDFIELDERS: Ricardo Fernandes, Aldair Cruz, Denilson Silva, Marco Paulo, Ebanilson Viegas, Luís Selemane, Geoxking C. Alegre, Edmilson Viegas 

FORWARDS: Luís Leal, Ronaldo Afonso, Valter Rocha, Ricardo Cardoso