Super Eagles Coach Poised to Exclude Italian-Based Player for World Cup Qualifiers
- Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle will likely drop Lazio player Fisayo Dele-Bashiru ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers
- The Malian announced his 39-man squad ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Rwanda and Zimbabwe
- Nice forward Terem Moffi resumed full training after an eight-month layoff due to an ACL injury
Eric Chelle is considering dropping an Italian-based player ahead of the must-win World Cup qualifiers this month.
Nigeria is gearing up to play against Rwanda in Kigali on March 21 before facing Zimbabwe in Uyo four days later.
The Super Eagles are fifth in the World Cup Qualifiers Group C standings, having picked up just four points from four matches.
Source: Getty Images
Dele-Bashiru injured?
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru suffered an ankle injury during a goalless draw against Venezia on 22nd February, which initially sidelined him for 15 days.
According to Punch, the midfielder missed two important matches including the Coppa Italia encounter with Inter Milan and a Serie A clash against AC Milan.
The 24-year-old also failed to make his comeback in a UEFA Europa League Round of 16 first-leg tie at Viktoria Plzen, Czech Republic per UEFA.
Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle will not risk including the midfielder in his 23-man list scheduled to be released this week.
Source: Getty Images
Dele-Bashiru resumes training
Lazio’s medical team has been carefully managing Dele-Bashiru’s rehabilitation, ensuring he returns to peak fitness without risking further injury.
According to Afrik-foot, the midfielder is back with the squad, indicating that his return to competitive action is imminent.
The Nigeria international will be included in the matchday squad against Udinese by coach Marco Baroni, though he is unlikely to start.
The 24-year-old has been impressive since joining Lazio on loan from Turkish club Hatayspor.
Dele-Bashiru’s Contribution to the Super Eagles
The former England U-17 player made a notable impact while playing for the Super Eagles of Nigeria.
The Lazio player scored his first international goal for Nigeria in the 2026 World Cup qualifier against South Africa under Finidi George last June.
He followed that up by netting the only goal in Nigeria's victory over Libya in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier last October per Gazettengr.
Dele-Bashiru has earned six caps for Nigeria so far.
He was also named in the Super Eagles’ provisional squad for the FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe, providing new head coach Eric Chelle with an additional midfield option.
Moffi to return after 8 months
Legit.ng earlier reported that Super Eagles striker Terem Moffi is on the verge of making his long-awaited return to action after spending eight months sidelined with an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
While this is a positive development for both Nice and the Nigerian national team, Haise remains cautious about rushing the striker back too soon.
Moffi, who underwent surgery in July 2024, has been working hard to recover and was recently cleared to rejoin full training.
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Source: Legit.ng
