Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has unveiled his first provisional squad list as he begins preparations for this month's 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Soccernet.ng reports.
Nigeria will take on Rwanda in Kigali on March 21 before hosting Zimbabwe in Uyo four days later — two crucial matches as the Super Eagles look to revive their faltering qualification campaign.
Appointed in January as the first non-Nigerian African to coach the Super Eagles, Chelle has largely kept faith with the core of the squad that finished second at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
The 39-man squad comprises five goalkeepers, ten defenders, ten midfielders, and 14 attackers.
While goalkeeper Francis Uzoho is left out, Chippa United's Stanley Nwabali and Udinese's Maduka Okoye are the biggest names in that department.
Captain William Troost-Ekong, who won the Player of the Tournament award at AFCON, leads the defensive line alongside Calvin Bassey (Fulham), Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest), and Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiacos).
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In midfield, Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City) returns to the fold alongside Alex Iwobi (Fulham) and Frank Onyeka (Augsburg).
The attack is headlined by Victor Osimhen, Nigeria's second all-time top goalscorer currently on loan at Galatasaray, while Ademola Lookman — the reigning African Footballer of the Year — is also included.
There are several new names and faces in the enlarged team list.
Slavia Prague defender Igoh Ogbu, Enugu Rangers strongman Ifeanyi Onyebuchi, CHAN Eagles star Papa Daniel Mustapha, Turkey-based Anthony Dennis and new Sevilla boys Akor Adams also make Chelle's squad.
Getafe youngster Christantus Uche and Genk forward Tolu Arokodare earn first time callups while there is a return to the national fold for captain Ahmed Musa, Nathan Tella, Paul Onuachu, Jordan Torunarigha and Cyriel Dessers.
In all, four NPFL stars, two former NPFL stars still playing their football on the continent, and 33 others scattered around Europe and Asia make up the list.
FULL SUPER EAGLES SQUAD LIST
Roster for #2026WCQ vs Rwanda and Zimbabwe #SoarSuperEagles pic.twitter.com/rljpOZkyyd
— Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) March 4, 2025
Goalkeepers
- Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa),
- Maduka Okoye (Udinese, Italy),
- Amas Obasogie (Singida Black Stars, Tanzania),
- Adeleye Adebayo (Enosis Neon Paralimni, Cyprus),
- Kayode Bankole (Remo Stars, Nigeria)
Defenders
- William Ekong (Al Khalood, Saudi Arabia),
- Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce, Turkey),
- Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiacos, Greece),
- Gabriel Osho (AJ Auxerre, France),
- Calvin Bassey (Fulham, England),
- Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest, England),
- Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal),
- Igoh Ogbu (Slavia Prague, Czech Republic),
- Jordan Torunarigha (Gent, Belgium),
- Ifeanyi Onyebuchi (Enugu Rangers, Nigeria)
Midfielders
- Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes, Nigeria),
- Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England),
- Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium),
- Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England, USA),
- Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (SS Lazio, Italy),
- Frank Onyeka (Augsburg, Germany),
- Alex Iwobi (Fulham, England), Joseph
- Ayodele-Aribo (Southampton, England),
- Anthony Dennis (Goztepe, Turkey),
- Christantus Uche (Getafe, Spain)
Forwards
- Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy),
- Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray, Turkey),
- Ademola Lookman (Atalanta, Italy),
- Kelechi Iheanacho (Middlesbrough, England),
- Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany),
- Simon Moses (Nantes, France),
- Sadiq Umar (Valencia, Spain),
- Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany),
- Cyriel Dessers (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland),
- Tolu Arokodare (KRC Genk, Belgium),
- Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla, Spain),
- Paul Onuachu (Southampton, England),
- Ahmed Musa (Kano Pillars, Nigeria),
- Akor Adams (Sevilla, Spain)
ERIC CHELLE SHOULD NOT BE DECEIVED & CARRIED AWAY ON THINKING OF MAKING ONUACHU TO PARTNER WITH OSIMHEN AT THE ATTACKING POSITION. PAUL ONUACHU IS A CLUB-SIDE GOALSCORER DECIEVER. HIS STYLE OF PLAY NEVER MARCH WITH SUPER EAGLE. HE HAS NEVER PLAY WELL IN ANY OF THE MATCHES HE PLAYED FOR THE SUPER EAGLE.
** UNDER GERNOT ROHR, EQUAVOEN , PASEIRO, FINIDI, HE ALL FLOPPED.
CHUKWUEZE, MUSA, LOOKMAN, SIMON PLAYED WELL WITH OSIMHEN AT THE FRONT, AND THEY ALL SUCCEEDED.
#### OSIMHEN NEEDS AGGRESSIVE & SPEEDY PLAYER TO PARTNER WITH.
** THE POTENTIAL & QUALITY OF PLAY OF GIFT-ORBAN , CRIEL DESSERS, MOFFI, AKPOM, AKOR, AKODARE WILL SUIT OSIMHEN PARTNERSHIP. AND ALSO FAR FAR BETTER THAN PAUL ONUACHU, IHEANACHO, SADIQ UMAR, AWONIYI.
ERIC CHELLE BE WATCHFUL ooooooooo ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
TO ME, WE DON’T NEED AN OLD SENIOR/EXPERIENCE PLAYERS THAT WILL SERVE AS BROTHERHOOD/MENTORSHIP TO PLAYERS IN THE TEAM.
WE WHAT WE NEED IS AN OLD SENIOR EXPERIENCE PLAYERS THAT CAN BE FIT TO PLAY 90 MINUTES ACTION ON THE FIELD OF PLAY, SHOWS CHARACTER & PROVE A POINT.
*** WE ALWAYS LIKE TO BE DECEIVING OURSELVES IN THIS COUNTRY WITH THE ISSUE OF OLD EXPERIENCE PLAYERS IN THE TEAM.
FOR INSTANCE : I am an experience engineer, but iam not fit, then tell me “what am I going to do on the field?”
IN AFCON 2019, MIKEL, BALOGUN WERE SELECTED AMONG THE PLAYERS TO THE COMPETITION AS AN EXPERIENCE OLD/SENIOR PLAYERS, BUT THEY WERE NOT FIT. AT THE END, BOTH OF THEM WERE FLOPPED WHILE GIVING CHANCE TO PLAY AGAINST MADAGASCAR BY LOOSING 3-0.
OR IS IT AN EXPERIENCE OF MIKEL, BALOGUN THAT MAKE SUPER EAGLE REACH THE FINAL OF AFCON 2023.
#### IHEANACHO, SADIQ, AWONIYI, BALOGUN, OMERUO, ONUACHU SHOULD BE DROP OUT OF THE TEAM & GIVE CHANCES FOR BETTER PERFORMING PLAYERS AT THE MOMENT LIKE: AKPOM, DESSERS, ORBAN, OSHO, AKPOGUMA, OLISA-NDAH, EJUKE.
** THERE MUST BE A REWARD OF INVITATION FOR PLAYERS THAT ARE PERFORMING CREDIBLY WELL AT THE MOMENT.
WHEN YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE NOT FIT, LET STOP DECEIVING OURSELVES THAT “EXPERIENCE COUNT” This is an EUROPEAN/AMERICAN language. It doesn’t work in Africa (most especially in Nigeria).
IF EXPERIENCE COUNT, DOES TROOST-EKONG, OSIMHEN BE PLAY AHEAD OF OMERUO, ONUACHU.
OR IZOHO, OMERUO, ONUACHU ARE THEY NOT A SENIOR PLAYERS AHEAD OF NWABALI, TROOST-EKONG, OSIMHEN. WHY THEIR EXPERIENCE DIDN’T COUNT ON THE FIELD OF PLAY AHEAD OF YOUNGER PLAYERS.
***** OR WHEN OBJ, PMB became President two or three times again, did their experience count for the nation???? INSTEAD, it is another EIGHT YEARS OF HECTIC SUFFERNESS.
THEY LOOTED , DISTABLISED NIGERIA ECONOMY & TURNED NIGERIA UPSIDE DOWN, LEADING TO EVERLASTING SUFFERNESS TILL WHAT NIGERIA ARE EXPERIENCING NOW (( to the extent that EMILOKAN TURN TO EBI LOKAN))
EVEN IN LAST WORLD CUP IN 2023 IN QATAR, WHEN BENZEMA & AGUERO WERE NOT FIT, THEY WERE DROPPED OUT OF THE TEAM OF THEIR RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES. AND BOTH COUNTRIES DID CREDIBLY WELL WITHOUT THEM. BUT IF IT IS NIGERIA, THEY WILL TAKE THEM ALONG TO THE COMPETITION AND SAY BENZEMA WILL BE GIVING ADVICE TO MBAPPE, OR AGUERO WILL BE MENTORING LAUTARO MARTINEZ, MARTINELLI.