By Christopher Ayeni
Super Eagles Unveil 31-Man Provisional Squad for World Cup Qualifiers
Super Eagles Head Coach Eric Sekou Chelle has released a 31-man provisional squad for next month’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Rwanda and South Africa.
The list, unveiled on Friday, includes team captain William Troost-Ekong, goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, defenders Olaoluwa Aina and Calvin Bassey, as well as midfielders Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi. Leading the attack are star forwards Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, and Moses Simon, all of whom are expected to play pivotal roles in the two crucial fixtures.
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Chelle also handed opportunities to younger players such as goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt, defender Benjamin Fredericks, and midfielder Christantus Uche, while experienced names like Chidozie Awaziem, Terem Moffi, and Cyriel Dessers return to the fold after strong club performances.
Nigeria, currently fourth in Group C, will host Rwanda on Saturday, September 6, at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, before travelling to Bloemfontein to face South Africa on Tuesday, September 9, in what is expected to be an absolute cracker.
The Super Eagles’ camp officially opens in Uyo on Monday, September 1, giving Chelle just under a week to impact the players with his tactics and assess their fitness ahead of the back-to-back qualifiers.
Full Squad
Goalkeepers:
Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania); Adeleye Adebayo (Volos FC, Greece); Ebenezer Harcourt (Sporting FC, Nigeria)
Defenders:
William Troost-Ekong (Al-Kholood, Saudi Arabia); Calvin Bassey (Fulham, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece); Igoh Ogbu (Slavia Prague, Czech Republic); Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes, France); Felix Agu (Werder Bremen, Germany); Benjamin Fredericks (Dender, Belgium)
Midfielders:
Alex Iwobi (Fulham, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford, England); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA); Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas, Turkey); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Lazio, Italy); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Christantus Uche (Getafe, Spain)
Forwards:
Ademola Lookman (Atalanta, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray, Turkey); Moses Simon (Paris FC, France); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Cyriel Dessers (Rangers, Scotland); Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad, Spain); Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Tolu Arokodare (Genk, Belgium); Terem Moffi (OGC Nice, France); Adams Akor (Sevilla, Spain)
