Victor Osimhen scored in the 16th minute against Istanbul Basaksehir on 4 September and was off the pitch 17 minutes later. Galatasaray have since confirmed a strain with bleeding in the right groin area, ruling him out until after the international break.
That takes Nigeria’s most reliable goalscorer out of both opening AFCON 2027 qualifiers. He is not the only forward Eric Chelle has lost this week either, which turns a straightforward selection into a genuine problem.
Nigeria remain favourites in both fixtures
His absence does not change the underlying hierarchy. Nigeria are three-time African champions and finished third at AFCON 2025. Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau sit well below them in the CAF pecking order, and the Super Eagles will be priced as clear favourites for the home fixture in Uyo and as favourites again on the road four days later.
Where the injuries do bite is everywhere except the match result. Backing Nigeria to win at a short price offers little, so the interest moves to the handicap and the goal totals, and both look different without a recognised finisher. A team that would ordinarily be expected to cover a one-goal handicap against Madagascar becomes a far less comfortable proposition when the man who guarantees the second and third goals is in Istanbul.
The goalscorer markets shift furthest. Osimhen is the default selection in any Nigeria fixture, and his absence leaves a genuinely open field in which whoever starts up front carries a price that would never be available otherwise. Anyone planning to take a position on those markets can find the Betway promo code explained on Afrik-Foot, though the single most valuable piece of information will be the team sheet an hour before kick-off in Uyo.
Onuachu’s injury leaves Chelle short of two strikers
Paul Onuachu went down during Trabzonspor’s 5-0 win over Gençlerbirliği on Sunday, having scored twice inside the opening 22 minutes to end a ten-game drought. At 32, he had just reminded everyone what he offers as a target man, and now he is a serious doubt for the September window.
Losing one first-choice striker is manageable. Losing the two most obvious options in the same week, days before a qualifying campaign that allows almost no margin for error, is a different problem entirely.
Tolu Arokodare is the form striker in the squad
If Chelle picks on current output, one name stands above the rest. Arokodare joined Ajax on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers this summer and has scored in each of his last four matches.
The run started in pre-season against Volendam, continued with a goal and an assist against Sion in the Conference League play-off, and included his first Eredivisie goal in a 4-0 win. It represents a complete turnaround for a 25-year-old who was left out of the AFCON 2025 squad after failing to convert his World Cup qualifying opportunities.
His profile also fits the assignment. Against two sides likely to defend deep in Uyo, a physical target forward capable of occupying centre-backs is arguably more useful than a runner looking for space that will not exist.
Dessers, Iheanacho and the experienced alternatives
Cyriel Dessers has forced his way back into the conversation after a brace in Europe. He brings something Arokodare does not, namely years of penalty-box experience at senior international level, which counts on nights when one chance decides a qualifier.
Kelechi Iheanacho has started well since choosing Bursaspor over a return to Celtic, scoring and assisting on debut, though playing in the Turkish second tier does not help his case. Akor Adams and Rafiu Durosinmi complete the list of strikers who have begun the season in credit.
Chelle also has the option of ignoring the centre-forward position altogether. Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze and Moses Simon give him three attackers who can operate in a front line without a traditional number nine, a shape that has worked for Nigeria before.
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Group L leaves no room for a slow start
The context makes these selection calls heavier than they would normally be. Nigeria are in Group L with Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau and Tanzania, and because Tanzania are co-hosting AFCON 2027 alongside Kenya and Uganda, they already have their place secured.
That leaves one qualifying spot for three teams. Nigeria host Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on 25 September at 16:00 GMT before travelling to face Guinea-Bissau four days later, and both fixtures are effectively must-win rather than merely important.
History offers a warning. Guinea-Bissau beat Nigeria in Abuja during 2023 qualifying before the Super Eagles won the return in Bissau, so the idea that these are routine assignments does not survive contact with the record.
The wider pressure on Chelle
All of this arrives with the coach already exposed. Nigeria missed the 2026 World Cup after finishing behind South Africa in their qualifying group and losing the play-off to DR Congo on penalties, and the squad is now operating under a transitional administration following the resignation of the NFF president and executive committee.
Chelle has responded by keeping the group broadly familiar, with Arthur Okonkwo of Charlton among the goalkeepers after earning his first two caps during the Unity Cup in May. Stability is a defensible approach when the fixtures are winnable on paper.
The forwards remain the open question. Two matches, one qualifying place, and a coach picking a striker from a shortlist that did not include any of these names three weeks ago. Uyo on 25 September will tell Nigerian supporters a great deal about how well he has read it.
