Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle has announced his final squad for Nigeria’s upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
The list, revealed on Tuesday, March 11, via the team’s official social media channels, was trimmed down from the provisional 39-man squad that sparked considerable debate last week.
As expected, key players like reigning African Player of the Year, Ademola Lookman, Victor Osimhen and Alex Iwobi made the cut.
The squad also features fresh faces, including Tolu Arokodare, Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) goalkeeper Kayode Bankole, and Slavia Prague defender Igoh Ogbu.
However, notable omissions from the initial list include Cyriel Dessers, Ahmed Musa, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Christantus Uche and Maduka Okoye.
The two upcoming fixtures are must-win encounters for the Super Eagles, who have had a disappointing start to their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Nigeria is yet to secure a victory, drawing three games and suffering a 2-1 defeat to Benin Republic before Chelle’s appointment in January.
Chelle, the former Mali national team coach, is now the first non-Nigerian African to take charge of the Super Eagles.
Nigeria will first face Rwanda in Kigali on March 21 before hosting Zimbabwe in Uyo on March 25.
Final Super Eagles Squad
Goalkeepers:
– Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa)
– Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania)
– Kayode Bankole (Remo Stars, Nigeria)
Defenders
– William Troost-Ekong (Al-Kholood FC, Saudi Arabia)
– Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahçe SK, Turkey)
– Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiacos FC, Greece)
– Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England)
– Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest, England)
– Igoh Ogbu (Slavia Prague, Czech Republic)
Midfielders:
– Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England)
– Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium)
– Alhassan Yusuf (New England Revolution, USA)
– Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England)
– Joe Aribo (Southampton FC, England)
– Papa Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes, Nigeria)
Forwards:
– Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy)
– Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey)
– Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy)
– Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)
– Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France)
– Sadiq Umar (Valencia CF, Spain)
– Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)
– Tolu Arokodare (KRC Genk, Belgium)
The Super Eagles will be aiming to turn their qualifying campaign around, and all eyes will be on Chelle’s first competitive matches in charge.
