Eric Chelle Releases Final 23 Man Shortlist for 2026 World Cup Qualifiers, Drops 16 Stars
- Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has released his final squad list for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers
- The former Mali national team head coach trimmed his initial 39-man provisional squad to 23 players
- Nigeria will face the Wasps of Rwanda away and the Warriors of Zimbabwe at home on March 21 and 25
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has announced his final 23-man squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe later this month.
Chelle was appointed by the Nigerian Football Federation in January and his manor responsibility was to help the country turn around their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.
Source: Getty Images
The former Malian announced his first squad last week, naming a big squad of 39 players, with eight new players handed their first invitation, including three NPFL stars.
Chelle announces 23-man squad
As noted by Super Eagles on X, Chelle has trimmed his voluminous 39-man squad to 23 players, and the final list will play in the must-win qualifier games.
Regular stars Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Stanley Nwabali headlined the list, with two players from the Nigerian Premier Football League making it.
Ahmed Musa leads the absentees, which also includes fitness concerns Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Maduka Okoye, while Cyril Dessers’ omission raised eyebrows.
Regular stars Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Stanley Nwabali headlined the list, with two players from the Nigerian Premier Football League making it.
Ahmed Musa leads the absentees which also includes fitness concerns Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Maduka Okoye, while Cyril Dessers’ omission raised eyebrows.
Goalkeepers
Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania); Kayode Bankole (Remo Stars)
Defenders
William Ekong (Al-Kholood FC, Saudi Arabia); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce SK, Turkey); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiacos FC, Greece); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Olaoluwa 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); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Southampton FC, England); Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes)
Source: Getty Images
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).
Reactions have trailed the announcement, but for the first time in a long while Nigerians applauded a manager for putting together a team the believed was not influenced.
As noted by The NFF, the first match will take place in Rwanda on March 21, before hosting the Zimbabweans at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on March 25.
Adel Amrouche sends message to Nigeria
Legit.ng reported that Adel Amrouche issued a warning to Nigeria and other teams in Group C of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier after he was named Rwanda's new head coach.
The Wasps currently sit at the top of Group C with seven points and face Nigeria next, with Amrouche replacing Frank Spittler whose contact was not renewed.
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Source: Legit.ng
