Chelle Unveils New Faces as Super Eagles Begin 2027 AFCON Qualifying Campaign
Super Eagles coach Éric Chelle demands a strong start to the 2027 AFCON qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, emphasizing early points and a new era of talent. With Victor Osimhen out, Chelle integrates 13 new faces into the squad, blending established stars with emerging talents for Nigeria's future.
Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle has urged his players to make a strong start to Nigeria’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign, with the team set to face Madagascar in Uyo on Friday, September 25, before travelling to Guinea-Bissau four days later.
The opening fixtures come after Nigeria’s difficult World Cup qualifying campaign, in which a late improvement was not enough to secure qualification, making an early collection of points a priority for Chelle. Nigeria’s 24-man AFCON squad retains established names including Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman and Moses Simon, while Ola Aina and Benjamin Fredricks return and new invitees are introduced.
The squad has, however, been affected by Victor Osimhen’s withdrawal with a right adductor muscle strain, with Taiwo Awoniyi called up as his replacement. Among the new options areIsaac James, Moses Usor and George Ilenikhena, who have received their first senior invitations for the competitive fixtures, while the squad also includes goalkeepers Arthur Okonkwo, Maduka Okoye and Stanley Nwabali, defenders Bruno Onyemaechi, Calvin Bassey, Ola Aina, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Benjamin Fredricks and Chibuike Nwaiwu, and attackers including Akor Adams, Samuel Chukwueze and Tolu Arokodare.
Nigeria will be seeking three points against Madagascar before turning attention to Guinea-Bissau, with the two fixtures forming the opening stage of their Group L campaign. Beyond the AFCON qualifiers, Chelle has assembled a separate, predominantly youthful squad for the October 6 friendly against Russia, giving him a wider pool from which to assess emerging talent.
The group includes Samuel James, Victory Akpe, Chibuzo Nwoko, Stephen Fumelu, Igor Wilfred, Ridwan Abdulrasaq, Mubarak Suleiman, Aderemi Adeoye, Peter Edokpolor, Abubakar Umar and Abdullahi Umar, among other players receiving their first senior invitations. The approach expands the pool around established players such as Ndidi, Iwobi, Lookman and Moses Simon, while giving the new generation an opportunity to compete for future places in the senior team.