Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has announced the final 23-man squad for Nigeria’s upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Rwanda and Zimbabwe. The team will face Rwanda in Kigali on March 21 and host Zimbabwe at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on March 25.
Goalkeepers:
- Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa)
- Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania)
- Kayode Bankole (Remo Stars, Nigeria)
Defenders:
- William Troost-Ekong (PAOK, Greece)
- Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England)
- Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest, England)
- Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal)
- Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahçe, Turkey)
- Igoh Ogbu (Slavia Prague, Czech Republic)
Midfielders:
- Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England)
- Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England)
- Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium)
- Alhassan Yusuf (Royal Antwerp, Belgium)
- Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes, Nigeria)
Forwards:
- Victor Osimhen (Napoli, Italy)
- Ademola Lookman (Atalanta, Italy)
- Moses Simon (Nantes, France)
- Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad, Spain)
- Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy)
- Terem Moffi (OGC Nice, France)
- Paul Onuachu (Trabzonspor, Turkey)
- Gift Orban (KAA Gent, Belgium)
Notably, experienced players Ahmed Musa and Kelechi Iheanacho were omitted from the final squad, despite being part of the initial 39-man provisional list.
Additionally, the squad includes home-based talents such as goalkeeper Kayode Bankole from Remo Stars and midfielder Papa Daniel Mustapha from Niger Tornadoes, reflecting Chelle’s commitment to integrating domestic league players into the national team setup.
These selections underscore Chelle’s strategy to blend experienced international players with emerging local talents as Nigeria aims to secure crucial victories in their World Cup qualifying campaign.
