Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has released a comprehensive 54-man preliminary squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) 2025, set to kick off in Morocco in just 19 days. This extensive provisional list, unveiled with CAF's December 11 deadline for final squad submissions looming, has generated considerable discussion and frustration among Nigerian football fans.

The 54-man squad is meticulously broken down, featuring 23 attackers, 12 midfielders, 13 defenders, and six goalkeepers. This large selection indicates that significant decisions regarding the final 28-man roster are still pending from Coach Chelle.

Among the notable aspects of the list, it strongly suggests the end of veteran forward Ahmed Musa's tenure with the Super Eagles. Simultaneously, it has fueled speculation regarding the fitness and availability of key defenders Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest, England) and Felix Agu (Werder Bremen, Germany), both of whom are currently recovering from injuries. The list also introduces a number of debutants and fresh faces, including Ebenezer Harcourt, Peter Agba, and Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, who recently made headlines with an assist against AC Milan. However, the continued absence of some experienced veterans has also become a point of debate among supporters, alongside the confirmed exit of Benjamin Fredrick from the defensive lineup.

The timing and sheer size of Chelle’s provisional list have drawn sharp criticism from fans online. Many perceive the release of such an expanded group with so little time before the competition as unnecessary and disruptive. Reactions on platforms like X (formerly Twitter) highlight this frustration, with comments such as, “Waste of time, just drop the 23-man squad,” and “There’s literally no sense in dropping any stupid preliminary list. Competition starts in less than 4 weeks, oga.” Another user voiced even stronger disapproval, stating, “Your mates have started releasing their final squad list. With just 2 weeks to go, you're still releasing list of 100 players.”

The preliminary squad also includes five players from the Nigerian Football Premier League (NFPL), addressing past criticisms regarding Coach Chelle's perceived reluctance to call up domestic players. However, former Super Eagles defender Kenneth Omeruo has offered a counter-argument, suggesting that players from the Nigerian top-flight division often struggle to compete effectively when in national team camp.

A full breakdown of the 54-man squad includes the following:

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania); Maduka Okoya (Udinese FC, Italy); Adebayo Adeleye (Volos FC, Greece); Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus); Ebenezer Harcourt (Sporting Lagos).

Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood, Saudi Arabia); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (Hull City, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece); Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes FC, France); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Igoh Ogbu (Slavia Prague, Czech Republic); Felix Agu (Werder Bremen, Germany); Ryan Alebiosu (Blackburn Rovers, England); Adekunle Adeleke (Abia Warriors).

Midfielders: Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA); Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Christantus Uche (Crystal Palace, England); Tochukwu Nnadi (Zulte Waregem, Belgium); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (SS Lazio, Italy); Ebenezer Akinsanmiro (Pisa SC, Italy); Usman Muhammed (Ironi Tiberias, Israel); Peter Agba (Maccabi Haifa, Israel); Tom Dele-Bashiru (Gençlerbirligi SK, Turkey).

Forwards: Ademola Lookman (Atalanta BC, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham FC, England); Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Simon Moses (Paris FC, France); Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla FC, Spain); Tolu Arokodare (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England); Akor Adams (Sevilla FC, Spain); Olakunle Olusegun (Pari Nizhny Novgorod, Russia); Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad, Spain); Kelechi Iheanacho (Celtic Glasgow, Scotland); Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest, England); Victor Boniface (Werder Bremen, Germany); Paul Onuachu (Trabzonspor AS, Turkey); Terem Moffi (OGC Nice, France); Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Cyriel Dessers (Panathinaikos FC, Greece); Abdulrasheed Shehu (Niger Tornadoes); Rafiu Durosinmi (Viktoria Plzen, Czech Republic); Ekeson Okorie (Nasarawa United); Chisom Orji (Warri Wolves); Chukwubuikem Ikwuemesi (OH Leuven, Belgium); Philip Otele (FC Basel, Switzerland); Salim Fago Lawal (NK Istra 1961 (Croatia); Emmanuel Michael (Linzer Athletik SK, Austria).

As Nigeria prepares for a demanding Group C, which includes Tunisia, Uganda, and opening-day opponents Tanzania on December 23, the nation's AFCON ambitions will hinge significantly on Coach Chelle's ability to efficiently and effectively trim this oversized provisional list into a formidable final squad.