The Super Eagles of Nigeria, led by coach Eric Chelle, have named their final 23-man squad for the critical 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe, with notable absentees, including skipper Ahmed Musa and forward Kelechi Iheanacho.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Musa had initially been included in the provisional 39-man list, which surprised many due to his near one-year absence from the national team. However, in the final squad for the upcoming matches, Chelle decided to exclude the Kano Pillars striker along with Iheanacho of Middlesbrough. Musa was part of the Super Eagles squad at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire but did not play any minutes, and Iheanacho was also part of the team that won silver in the tournament.
Chelle, who took over as head coach of the Super Eagles in January 2025, has included several key players such as Alex Iwobi, William Troost-Ekong, Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, and Simon Moses. Other notable inclusions are Stanley Nwabali, Calvin Bassey, and Wilfred Ndidi, with Nathan Tella and Joe Aribo making a return to the squad after a long absence.
The coach has also handed a maiden call-up to Tolu Arokodare, Igoh Ogbu, and Papa Mustapha, signaling a new direction for the team ahead of these crucial qualifiers. Nigeria will face Rwanda in Kigali on March 21 before returning home to play Zimbabwe at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium four days later.
This is a significant test for Coach Chelle, who faces the challenge of reviving Nigeria’s World Cup hopes after a poor start to the qualifiers, with only three points from four games. The Super Eagles are currently four points behind Group C leaders Rwanda, making these upcoming matches crucial.
Full List of Super Eagles Squad for World Cup Qualifiers:
Defenders:
– William Troost-Ekong (Al-Kholood FC, Saudi Arabia)
– Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce SK, Turkey)
– Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiacos FC, Greece)
– Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England)
– Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest, England)
– Igoh Ogbu (SK Slavia Prague, Czech Republic)
Midfielders:
– Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England)
– Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium)
– Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA)
– Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England)
– Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Southampton FC, England)
– Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes)
Forwards:
– Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy)
– Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey)
– Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy)
– Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)
– Simon Moses (FC Nantes, France)
– Sadiq Umar (Valencia FC, Spain)
– Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)
– Tolu Arokodare (KRC Genk, Belgium)
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