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Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle has unveiled a 24-man squad for Nigeria’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
Captain Wilfred Ndidi headlines the squad alongside defender Semi Ajayi, midfielder Alex Iwobi, and forwards Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Moses Simon.
Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye has also been called up, alongside defenders Calvin Bassey and Bright Osayi-Samuel, midfielders Frank Onyeka and Raphael Onyedika, and forwards Samuel Chukwueze, Akor Adams and Tolu Arokodare.
England-based defenders Olaoluwa Aina and Benjamin Fredrick, as well as goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, return to the squad.
Portugal-based defender Isaac James earns his first call-up to the Super Eagles, while forwards George Ilenikhena and Moses Usor are also included in the squad for the first time.
Read Also:Which Players Should Eric Chelle Invite For The 2027 AFCON Qualifiers?
The Super Eagles will host Madagascar’s Barea at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Friday, September 25, before travelling to Bissau to face Guinea-Bissau’s Wild Dogs in a Matchday 2 encounter on Tuesday, September 29.
Chelle Full Squad
Goalkeepers: Arthur Okonkwo (Charlton Athletic, England); Maduka Okoye (Udinese Calcio, Italy); Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa)
Defenders: Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece); Isaac James (Alverca FC, Portugal); Benjamin Fredricks (Brentford FC, England); Emmanuel Fernandez (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (Hull City, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Chibuike Nwaiwu (Trabzonspor FC, Turkey); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England)
Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Raphael Onyedika (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany); Frank Onyeka (Coventry City, England)
Forwards: Moses Simon (Paris FC, France); Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Akor Adams (Venezia FC, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Ademola Lookman (Atletico Madrid, Spain); Tolu Arokodare (Ajax FC, The Netherlands); George Ilhenikina (Al Ittihad, Saudi Arabia); Moses Usor (LASK FC, Austria)
31 Comments
I don’t believe in these midfield players, we need to do more abeg.
I agree with you @Wike about this weak midfield selection by Chelle. Weak and slow midfielders like Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi need to give way to fitter, pacier and more agile younger players like the trio of Alhassan Yusuf, Tochukwu Nnadi and one of Frank Onyeka or Onyedika in midfield. I don’t know why Chelle didn’t invite Yusuf and Nnadi to the squad.
For me that midfield squad is the weakest link, particularly playing Ndidi and Iwobi at the same time. If Chelle continue playing the two weak, tiring and aging duo, the SE will soon pay heavy price, especially when facing fitter, pacier, stronger and more combative, African teams like Morocco, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Congo Dr and even South Africa.
Chelle desperately need younger blood in the team and start retiring the likes of Moses Simon, Wilfred Ndidi and even Iwobi in midfield.
Anyway, goodluck to the team in the Afcon qualifiers.
NDIDI DOESN’T DESERVE TO BE IN THAT SQUAD.
HE WAS INCONSISTENT AND BENCH-WARMER IN CLUB SIDE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS SEASON.
INSTEAD ALHASSAN WOULD HAVE BE INVITED.
Definition of coach that select his players on merit, despite his beef with tolu, he still call him base on his recent form and didn’t allow Gala to bully him from inviting osimhen.
That midfield is light.
Iwobi is not a central midfielder. So we have only 3 CMs,
What of Nnadi, Yusuf, Tijani? Ogbelu is not even on the radar. If they are not injured, 1 or 2 of these should have been included.
I hope we are not repeating past mistakes. Madagascar and GB usually pack their midfield, and we need a strong midfield to match them.
My ideal lineup: 3-4-1-2
Okonkwo
Nwaiwu, Ajayi, Bassey
Aina, Onyeka, Ndidi, Bruno
Lookman (Iwobi sub)
Osimhen, Akor
With 3 CBs, we historically have a stronger defense. And the Osi/Akor/Lookman trio was the deadliest attack at the last Afcon. The midfield also has 2 natural CMs.
This for me is the optimal lineup with this group of players.
Wo pompei Ori wanibe, that mildfiled is very light, are they truly our only best mildfilders.
Iwobi isn’t a mildfilder and He himself knows that, while the rest are central mildfilder and not creative mildfilder.
We will continue to flop against highly technical team. With these set of wiked players at the middle.
Where’s Benjamin Frederick. Nwaiwu out , Frederick in
So what is new in this selection, especially the midfield? This is just ridiculous. This Coach is trying to tell us that he is actively working, but still calling up Moses Simon> Nothing to write home about. It is well and all will be well.
The Moses Simon invite boggles the mind He’s been there since 2015! 11 yrs ago. Failed to qualify for 2 world cups. Diminishing returns observed in performance. Yet, he keeps getting call ups.
Where is Otele, Yira Sor, Olaigbe, Owen Oseni?
Simon did better than those ones during the friendlies. We can’t afford to experiment.
Samuel chukeueze can be an option in midfield
Yusuf and nnandi got injured. He can’t bring in a fresh face for this important matches in the middle.
Gbayii @christian, Chelle prefer using chukzy in midfield, Hassan and nnandi wasnt call up due to injury and the coach did t have room to experiment for now which is why we shd expect him to experiment vs Russia.
Chuks in central midfield against hardened African midfielders? Unless you have a solid DM alongside him, you’re asking for disaster. He will do well offensively, but will be a liability defensively, and will be bullied and dominated by most African midfielders due to his small size.
Recall what happened to Iwobi against ordinary DRC.
We can’t afford to repeat that mistake.
Ideally, Chuks will do well on the wings or in an advanced role as an AM or a support striker. Central midfield is a big mbanu. Let’s be guided.
Which Simon did better? Abi is there another Simon?
DId you watch Otele, or Oseni at the Unity Cup? See what Olaigbe and Sor are doing at their clubs?
Otele in particular is one I expected to be very much in the set up by now, based on his Unity Cup performance. Even Chuks can offer a lot on the left wing if given a chance. These are the guys we should be considering for the left wing, not an off form player who has been there since 2015 with nothing to show.
If he is in form, why not? But based on past SE performances in crucial games, and recent club performances, we need to look elsewhere.
He’s about to reach 100 caps
That should be the logic
Must he reach hundred caps at our expense?
If he’s performing, fine. But we can’t be carrying a short one just to assist him to a hundred caps.
But wait ooo.
Earlier reports said Osimhen is injured. If that is the case, then my attack would be Akor and Ilenikhena, with Lookman behind them. Arokodare will be subbed in later.
As for Frederick, I left him out because I’m not sure about his match fitness.
If he is fit, he will be the first on my list. One of Ajayi or Nwaiwu will have to give way for him.
I have to look at this selection again and again, just four players at the middle and even among them no one is a complete mildfilder.
We can’t go far like this now,defenders almost triple that number and even strikers, Chelle what is going on now, hope this is not of spiritual wikedness in high places.
It’s a very wiked situation. Our midfield needs work. Other African countries pack the midfield when they play us. Our mumu no too much?
How many goals have the midfielders scored for the SE? Even with over 200 caps combined
Well, it is true the midfield is light. However, we should not forget that some of the forward players will play from midfield. The likes of Ademola, chuks, Simon, and Uzor.
@Bum this is how we always get it wrong, those you mentioned can’t function like a real proper mildfield oriented player.
When we are up against tactical team, those players fissle out. We need proper mildfield players I mean passers of ball, both long and short and accurate.
Where are the olise, okocha, Mikel, mutiu of this world.
You all we see what am saying if any coach can be smart enough to play us at the middle.
Those strikers we have no answer. We need to keep saying so that Chelle will know the major challenge of se. To me nothing new here ho unless may am yet to see it.
GOAL-DECIEVER IHEANACHO, BENCH-WARMER NDIDI, AND AGING MOSES SIMON DOES NOT DESERVE FURTHER CALL-UP IN NATIONAL TEAM. AGAIN.
QUALITY OF PLAY, AGE IS NOT AT THEIR SIDE.
** ERIC CHELLE SHOULD NOT BE DECIEVED **
NIGERIA DOES NOT NEED THE CAPTAINSHIP/LEADERSHIP, EXPERIENCE PLAYERS THAT CANNOT DO THE TALKING ON PITCH.
AFTER ALL WHAT IS THE GAIN OF PORTUGAL STARTING RONALDO ON THE FIELD OF PLAY WHEN HE IS ALREADY AGING (not doing the talking on the pitch).
** AT LAST, the whole team end up in disaster**
COACH ERIC CHELLE WATCH OUT.
This team will do very well. The forwards can also play in the midfield. I wonder why you are not seeing this.
Nnadi and Yusuf would have been there but because of injuries
You want the coach to hand over call ups to untested midfielders in an important match
@Christian ministry, I believe strongly that these are not the only best mildfilders we have. Stop patronizing those midlfieder mention up there.
I believe strongly that Chelle has not done enough in this regards and If he continues to sticks to only those midlfieder mentioned above, I will start developing serious hatred for him.
We need real passers of football. @ Christian ministry stop this wikedness joo.
Within a decade, this set of midfielders have failed consistently at the crucial moment. Chelle is recycling of a combination of bench warming captain, ra sluggish and igid CM, a 1D playmaker, and an inconsistent MF.
Tochukwu Nadi,Fisayo Dele Bashiru,Abdullahi all injured.Who are you expecting him to call?If you know better midfielders than the ones in the list please name them
Nobody knew Abdullahi Bewene until he dazzled at the London black whatever championships. It may surprise you that they might be the worst Nigeria has at the moment. Nigeria is too blessed to be recycling midfielders.
Etebo is a more confident maestro than several of these four.
CHELLE, you are not going to win AFCON or qualify for WCup with this set of midfield. All the four midfielders get frozen out quickly in a tight match. Ndidi is warming the bench in Turkey, Onyeka is a rigid player, Iwobi is not dynamic and only effective in a don’t touch me system, Onyedika is inconsistent. The team needs a creative midfielder and a box to box CM.
If Chelle plays his signature 4-1-2-1-2, the Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueze could be considered as midfielders – attacking midfielders just behind the 2 centre forwards. All of a sudden, the midfield doesn’t seem so light.
George Ilhenikina and Moses Usor are tantalising additions to the forward line up while Isaac James could become a fixture in defence if he produces a powerful performance of called upon.
It’s a good list, one that elicits a thumbs up from me.
Ah, this midfield is light ooo.
Very, very light. O light gan!
We have an ageing Ndidi.
Onyeka and Onyedika are just ok. Sometimes they can be mediocre. No insult intended.
And if you call Iwobi a midfielder, I can only laugh. Sorry sir, Iwobi is not a central midfielder. Not in a million years! He is fantastic going forward, he’ll create a multitude of chances with his line breaking passes and crosses. He will even get you the occasional goal. But if you ask him to compete with battle hardened midfielders like Kessie of CIV, Moutoussamy of DRC, or Gueye of Senegal, hehehehe! E don be!!!
Imagine us facing the likes of Cape Verde, Senegal, or Morocco with this midfield. The thought makes me shudder!
In a tight, tactical game, you need proper midfielders to do the dirty work in the midfield.
Aje butter Lookman can’t do that. He is deadly in the box, but the job of man marking in the midfield is not for him. Same can be said of Iwobi and Chukwueze. Their strength is offensive, but they are a liability defensively.
We need Oliseh, Onazi, Etebo type midifielders, and we need them urgently! And we have them!
The problem is the scouts are not doing the hard work of scouting.
I won’t mention any names of players that should have been invited. The NFF scouts should get off their couches and do their freaking jobs or get sacked and let people who are ready to work get in there!
However, it is possible that Chelle intends to use players like Fredrick or Nwaiwu in the DM role. That might work but it’s a risk. The best case scenario is to have enough real central midfielders in your squad. The job of central midfielder is a specialized skill. You need players that belong to that role, not makeshift plugs.