X-raying Chelle’s 39-man provisional squad for W’Cup qualifiers
Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has dropped a rare 39-man provisional list for this month’s World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe. ABIODUN ADEWALE assesses the squad as the anxiety rages on ahead of the final 23-man list
Based on the current form of most Nigerian players abroad, the Super Eagles list for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe later this month was anticipated, but nobody saw the release of a 39-man provisional list coming.
Usually, there is a supposedly discreet provisional list for matches like these, with rumours also making the rounds about who’s there and who’s not, but it gets pruned to the needed 23-man list before it is made known to the public.
In a subtle shift from the norm, the Nigeria Football Federation, through the Super Eagles official social media handles, on Tuesday, teased and dropped a list of 39 players that have been picked by the new coach, Eric Chelle for these assignments, leaving the media space awash with questions about the final cut.
Of course, there is no perfect list and nothing is settled yet. Even the players on the list also got to know via social media, just like the teeming fans that have bombarded social media with requests for the list.
Provisionally, the list has five goalkeepers, 10 defenders, 10 midfielders and 14 names in attack, with seven of the players being potential debutants, if they make the final cut.
The players in line for their maiden invitations are; Salvia Prague defender Igoh Ogbu, Rangers International’s Ifeanyi Onyebuchi, Anthony Dennis who plays for Goztepe in Turkey, Getafe’s Chrisantus Uche, Papa Daniel Mustapha of Niger Tornadoes in the Nigeria topflight, in-form Genk striker Tolu Arokodare and new Sevilla signing Akor Adams.
Among them are also potential returnees, headlined by 2013 AFCON winner and captain, Ahmed Musa who is currently plying his trade with his boyhood club Kano Pillars in the Nigeria Premier Football League. Others are Remo Stars goalkeeper Kayode Bankole, Gent defender Jordan Torunarigha, and Joseph Aribo as well as forwards Cyriel Dessers and Nathan Tella.
New Super Eagles handler, Chelle, must be plotting his final squad ahead of another release, so the players on the list can’t rejoice yet and those who were snubbed must not rule anything out yet.
But, regardless of the motive to drop the initial list, it’s a quick fix to cushion the bombardment from the fans and in return put pressure on some of the players, especially the potential debutants and returnees, since there would be no camping for them to prove themselves before the bombshell of the final list is dropped.
Who should be in or out of the final list?
The two qualifiers are coming up in a fortnight, so, picking the final 23-man list for games at the moment; especially in the thick of European club football is illogical.
Therefore, the final roster will be hugely influenced by form and unforeseen circumstances, particularly injuries.
Players like the reigning African Player of The Year Ademola Lookman, on-loan Napoli striker Victor Osimhen, defender William Troost-Ekong, Moses Simon, Ola Aina and goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali are among the ones Nigerians would hope to stay fit for the clashes.
Osimhen particularly has not featured in the ill-fated 2026 World Cup qualifying series due to injuries and the in-form Galatasaray striker has expressed his desire to play at the mundial which will be jointly hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico.
“You have to give everything; you know it’s a dream of every youngster to be at the World Cup. Mine is no exception. So for me, I want to be there just like every one of my teammates and we are really looking forward to the game against Rwanda and Zimbabwe to try and correct all the mistakes we have made in the past. So, we will be ready,” Osimhen told journalist Oluwshina Okeleji after a league game in Turkey recently.
However, few regulars are still giving Chelle and the fans some selection headaches due to their fitness.
One of them is Italy-based Fisayo Dele-Bashiru whose return date from an injury is said to be near but not specific. Therefore, it remains to be seen how match-fit the Lazio midfielder, who has scored two important goals in his six appearances for Nigeria will be for the clashes.
Some players like Leicester City midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and Sevilla’s Chidera Ejuke recently returned from injuries as well but they must remain 100 per cent for these assignments.
The provisional list seems exhaustive with options in every department but there are still questions about some inclusions and even omissions.
While someone like Enyimba goalkeeper Ani Ozoemena, who was in goal for the CHAN Eagles during their recent qualifiers was snubbed, his deputy at that level, Kayode Bankole got the nod.
Also, Kelechi Iheanacho, who has settled for more bench roles in the national team recently and also struggling to find his feet at club level, as well as an unfit and unsettled Maduka Okoye got a look at.
Again, nothing is settled yet, but this is football; before anything happens, it must have been earned or made possible by hard luck.
If the fans can pray against injuries, the prayer point should be that the 39-man list should not be plagued, so the coach will not be swayed by the urge to just fill voids when players should be competing for spots.
No player is indispensable, and interestingly, there are potential replacements for almost every player on the list. A testament to Nigeria’s depth of talent but it remains to be seen how the new coach will assemble the bunch for a clean sweep.
Chelle keeping an eye on the NPFL
Recently, Chelle has been watching Nigeria Premier Football League matches.
The Franco-Malian coach was in Ikenne, Lagos and Kano to watch matches involving some of the best teams in the league and it’s good to see him include four NPFL stars (Musa, Onyebuchi, Bankole and Daniel) in his provisional squad although it could have been more.
Now, thanks to his inclusion, it is safe to think about Musa in the capacity of the Super Eagles captain, a role he last played as a squad player during the 2023 AFCON between January and February 2024 in Ivory Coast. He has been absent from the team since then until he emerged as one of the stars in the Nigerian topflight.
However, his inclusion wouldn’t have raised eyebrows if it was during the AFCON qualifiers in November when he was taking the league by storm on his return.
It’s hard to see how the 2013 AFCON winner will break into the star-studded wings without settling for another spell of leadership role on the bench.
Generally, it won’t be surprising if none of the four players make the final squad. At least, they would be happy they made it this far from the Nigerian top flight.
Chelle’s mandate
When the final list is out in another week or thereabouts, disappointments, hisses and criticisms would be inevitable but the ultimate vindication would be results that will reignite the Super Eagles’ campaign in the World Cup qualifiers.
Coach Chelle, who took over in January, surely has a delicate job.
As he awaits his first game in charge of the team, the Franco-Malian is caught between reviving the country’s ill-fated 2026 World Cup qualifying series and leading the country to their fourth AFCON title when the tournament kicks off by December.
He has also stressed that his focus will be on the World Cup qualifiers until the 2025 AFCON nears.
“As I’ve said before, my focus is on my players and March. We need to concentrate on the World Cup qualifiers first, and after that, in October, we can start thinking about AFCON. For now, we need to win two games in March,” Chelle said after the 2025 AFCON draw in January.
Nigeria risk missing out on the 2026 World Cup, following a disappointing start to their qualifying campaign.
After four matches, the three-time African champions sit in fifth place with just three points, four points behind leaders Rwanda, with six games left to play in the qualifying series.
March’s fixtures against the Amavubi in Kigali and Zimbabwe are crucial for Nigeria’s chances of securing a ticket to the global football showpiece, as victories in those games are expected to reignite their qualification hopes.
After the two games in March, the team will also regroup in September and October for their last four games in the series before plotting their route to a fourth AFCON title in December.
