Rohr names ex-Arsenal starlet Ejaria, Lookman in Nigeria's provisional squad for AFCON 2021

Manager Gernot Rohr has included two members of the England squad that won the 2017 FIFA U20 World Cup in a 40-man provisional squad for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations holding in Cameroon.

Arsenal academy product Ovie Ejaria who now plies his trade in the Championship with Reading and Leicester City winger Ademola Lookman are in line to feature in their first major tournament at senior level early next year, provided their application to switch nationalities from England to Nigeria is approved by FIFA.

The Franco-German football tactician confirmed that Ejaria and Lookman are being monitored by his scouting team with a view to a potential call-up to the Super Eagles.

Ejaria trained with the Golden Eaglets class of 2013 which included the likes of current Super Eagles players Kelechi Iheanacho, Taiwo Awoniyi and Francis Uzoho, but was omitted from the final roster to the United Arab Emirates.

When asked if he has been in touch with Ejaria and Lookman, who want to switch nationalities,  Rohr told Elegbete TV Sports : "Yes, we are in touch, he's in our scouting program, we are seeing every weekend what they are doing.

"We have around 30, 35 players and now I have to do a list already for the AFCON of 40 names because CAF is asking for that so we have until the beginning of November now to put together this list of 40 players.

"Lookman and Ejaria of course are part of it, and then this competition we have to watch what they are doing at the clubs and the people who are doing very well in the clubs have always a chance to come into our team."

In the current season, Ejaria has suited up ten times for Reading and has two goals to his name, while Lookman has appeared in nine matches, scoring two goals.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel