Head Coach of the Super Eagles, Éric Sékou Chelle has named a provisional list of 39 players for this month’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
After four matches, Nigeria have only three points and placed second from the bottom in a six-team group. The Super Eagles are four points behind the top three – Rwanda, South Africa and Benin Republic with only one team gaining automatic qualification to the global finals.
The players include goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali and Adeleye Adebayo; defenders William Ekong, Calvin Bassey and Olaoluwa Aina; midfielders Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi; and forwards Ademola Lookman, Victor Osimhen and Simon Moses.
There are also goalkeeper Maduka Okoye; defenders Bruno Onyemaechi and Zaidu Sanusi; midfielders Frank Onyeka and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru; and forwards Ahmed Musa, Samuel Chukwueze and Sadiq Umar.
Defenders Igoh Ogbu and Ifeanyi Onyebuchi; midfielders Anthony Dennis, Chrisantus Uche and Papa Daniel Mustapha; and forwards Tolu Arokodare and Jerome Akor Adams are named for the first time ever, while there could be returns for home-based goalkeeper Kayode Bankole, defender Jordan Torunarigha, midfielder Joseph Ayodele-Aribo and forwards Cyriel Dessers and Nathan Tella, if they eventually make the final list of 23.
Nigeria square up to leaders Amavubi of Rwanda in Kigali on Friday, 21 March, before taking on Zimbabwe’s Warriors at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo four days later.
