Former Super Eagles defender Augustine Eguavoen has weighed in on Eric Chelle's 39-man squad list ahead of Nigeria's upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe, Soccernet.ng reports.
The ex-KRC Genk star believes it would be unfair for Middlesbrough loanee Kelechi Iheanacho to be left out of the final Super Eagles squad for the crucial encounters.
Ahead of the must-win games, the Malian tactician expanded his squad from the usual 23-man list to 39 players, including Sevilla-owned talent.
READ MORE:
- Official: Osimhen, Lookman, Ndidi in Eric Chelle’s first Super Eagles squad for Rwanda, Zimbabwe (FULL LIST)
- Super Eagles squad list: Eric Chelle set to reveal final 23-man selection—date confirmed?
However, reports circulating within the Nigerian football community suggest that Iheanacho could be among those dropped from the final squad.
For Eguavoen, excluding Iheanacho after including him in the provisional squad would be unjust.
“It's not fair on Kelechi Iheanacho if Eric Chelle makes a 39-man list and he isn't involved. If it's a 23 or 25-man list, that's fine,” Eguavoen said via MNF, as quoted by Brila Media.
Reports indicate that Chelle is expected to announce his final squad this week, with camp set to open in the coming week.
Meanwhile, Iheanacho, who has struggled for game time under Middlesbrough manager Michael Carrick, has failed to score in his last five appearances for the club.
Should Iheanacho eventually make it to the squad list, the former Leicester City attacker will be hoping to make a positive impact in the upcoming games.
why must the dead wood Iheanacho be included in the 39 man provisional list in the first place when Chuba Akpom is on fire , such favoritism wouldn’t bring success to any team, invite players based on current form not past contributions.