Eric Chelle has named his Super Eagles squad for Nigeria’s opening AFCON 2027 qualifiers, with Victor Osimhen included despite recently being ruled out by Galatasaray.
Nigeria will face Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau in their first two matches of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign before taking on Russia in an international friendly.
Chelle had been expected to select separate groups for the competitive qualifiers and the friendly, with several names already emerging in reports ahead of the official announcement. The Nigeria coach has now confirmed his plans, with many of the national team’s regular players retained for the crucial qualifiers.
Osimhen makes surprise return
The biggest talking point from the AFCON squad is the inclusion of Osimhen.
The Galatasaray striker had been ruled out of action for three weeks by his club, making his involvement with Nigeria uncertain. However, Chelle has decided to include the 27-year-old forward as the Super Eagles prepare for their first competitive matches of the new qualifying campaign.
Osimhen remains one of Nigeria’s leading attacking options and his inclusion gives Chelle another proven goalscoring threat ahead of the two fixtures.
Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze, Moses Simon, Akor Adams and Tolu Arokodare are also included among the forwards.
George Ilenikhena and Moses Usor are two of the newer attacking names in the squad, while Isaac James also earns a place in the senior setup.
Nwabali faces competition for starting spot
There is also strong competition for the goalkeeper position, with Stanley Nwabali returning alongside Maduka Okoye and Arthur Okonkwo.
Okonkwo has recently strengthened his case for further involvement with the national team after keeping clean sheets in Nigeria’s Unity Cup matches against Zimbabwe and Jamaica. His inclusion means Chelle has three goalkeepers competing for the starting role.
The defensive group features experienced players such as Olaoluwa Aina, Calvin Bassey, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Bruno Onyemaechi and Semi Ajayi, while Benjamin Fredricks, Emmanuel Fernandez and Chibuike Nwaiwu are also included.
In midfield, Chelle has retained Alexander Iwobi, Frank Onyeka and Wilfred Ndidi, with Raphael Onyeka completing the four-man group.
Full Super Eagles squad for the AFCON qualifiers
Goalkeepers
- Arthur Okonkwo
- Maduka Okoye
- Stanley Nwabali
Defenders
- Bruno Onyemaechi
- Isaac James
- Benjamin Fredricks
- Emmanuel Fernandez
- Oluwasemilogo Ajayi
- Calvin Bassey
- Chibuike Nwaiwu
- Bright Osayi-Samuel
- Olaoluwa Aina
Midfielders
- Alexander Iwobi
- Frank Onyeka
- Wilfred Ndidi
- Raphael Onyeka
Forwards
- Ademola Lookman
- Samuel Chukwueze
- Moses Simon
- Akor Adams
- Victor Osimhen
- Tolu Arokodare
- George Ilenikhena
- Moses Usor
Iheanacho gets Russia opportunity
While several established players have been selected for the AFCON qualifiers, there are also notable changes in the separate squad planned for the Russia friendly.
Kelechi Iheanacho, who has been enjoying a productive spell in the Turkish second tier, was left out of the main AFCON qualifying group but has been included for the friendly against Russia.
The decision gives Chelle an opportunity to assess players outside his main competitive squad while also managing the workload of those involved in the qualifiers.
Nigeria’s immediate priority, however, will be the two AFCON qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau. Chelle will be looking for a strong start to the campaign, with six points from the opening two matches providing an important foundation.
The Russia friendly will then give other players an opportunity to impress the coach and potentially strengthen their claims for future Super Eagles selections.
