Eric Chelle Names 23-Man Super Eagles Squad For World Cup Qualifiers

Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, has unveiled his final 23-man squad for Nigeria’s upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

This will mark Eric Chelle’s first official matches in charge of the team.

From the initial 39-man provisional list released last week, Chelle has trimmed the squad by cutting 16 players.

Notable omissions include veteran forward Ahmed Musa, Middlesbrough’s Kelechi Iheanacho, Udinese’s goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, Lazio’s Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, and Celtic’s Cyriel Dessers.

The final squad features a balanced mix of experience and fresh talent, comprising three goalkeepers, six defenders, six midfielders, and seven forwards.

Key players such as Stanley Nwabali, William Troost-Ekong, Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, Ademola Lookman, and Victor Osimhen have made the cut.

New faces include Czech Republic-based defender Igoh Ogbu, home-based midfielder Papa Daniel, and Belgium-based forward Tolu Arokodare.

Nigeria will first take on Group C leaders Rwanda in Kigali on March 21, before hosting Zimbabwe at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on March 25.

Final 23-Man Super Eagles Squad for Rwanda & Zimbabwe Matches

Goalkeepers:

• Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa)
• Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania)
• Kayode Bankole (Remo Stars)

Defenders:

• William Troost-Ekong (Al-Kholood FC, Saudi Arabia)
• Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce SK, Turkey)
• Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiacos FC, Greece)
• Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England)
• Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest, England)
• Igoh Ogbu (SK Slavia Prague, Czech Republic)

Midfielders:

• Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England)
• Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium)
• Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA)
• Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England)
• Joe Aribo (Southampton FC, England)
• Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes)

Forwards:

• Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy)
• Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey)
• Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy)
• Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)
• Simon Moses (FC Nantes, France)
• Sadiq Umar (Valencia FC, Spain)
• Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)
• Tolu Arokodare (KRC Genk, Belgium)

KanyiDaily recalls that in January, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) appointed Éric Chelle, a former coach of Mali’s senior men’s football team, as the new head coach of the Super Eagles.