Complete Roster: Musa Excluded as Chelle Announces Final Squad for First Match with the Eagles
Eric Chelle, head coach of the Super Eagles, has named a 23-player final squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers later this month.
The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) made the announcement on Tuesday. This final squad comes just a week after a provisional list of 39 players was released ahead of the upcoming fixtures.
One of the biggest surprises in the final squad is the omission of Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa. His inclusion in the initial squad had raised eyebrows, as his last call-up was for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire, where he didn’t feature in any of the matches.
The trimmed-down squad still features many familiar faces, with key attacking options including Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Victor Boniface, and Moses Simon. The midfield is bolstered by Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, and Raphael Onyedika, while the defense includes William Ekong, Calvin Bassey, Ola Aina, and others.
After long absences, Nathan Tella and Joe Aribo return to the squad, while three players—Tolu Arokodare, Igoh Ogbu, and Papa Mustapha—receive their first-ever call-ups to the Super Eagles.
The Super Eagles will face Rwanda in Kigali on March 21 before taking on Zimbabwe four days later at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.
These matches will mark Eric Chelle’s first games in charge of the team since being appointed as head coach in January. Nigeria is currently winless in their World Cup qualifying campaign, having lost once and drawn three times. They sit fifth in Group C and must deliver strong performances in their remaining matches to keep their hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup alive.
LIST OF 23 SUPER EAGLES FOR RWANDA, ZIMBABWE MATCHES
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)
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)
