Super Eagles: Chelle Names Two Squads for AFCON Qualifiers and Russia Friendly

Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle has named two separate 24-man squads for Nigeria’s upcoming international fixtures, with one group selected for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau and another for the October friendly against Russia.

The Nigeria Football Federation announced both squads on Thursday, with the Super Eagles set for a busy international period that begins with two competitive AFCON qualifying matches before the trip to Russia.

Nigeria will host Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Friday, 25 September, before travelling to Bissau to face Guinea-Bissau on Tuesday, 29 September.

The Russia friendly will then take place on Tuesday, 6 October, at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium.

Osimhen, Lookman, Ndidi Headline AFCON Squad

Chelle has selected a 24-man squad containing several of Nigeria’s established internationals for the opening AFCON 2027 qualifiers.

Captain Wilfred Ndidi, goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, Alex Iwobi, Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Moses Simon are among the key names included.

Maduka Okoye, Calvin Bassey, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Frank Onyeka, Raphael Onyedika, Samuel Chukwueze, Akor Adams and Tolu Arokodare are also part of the group.

There are opportunities for several players to make an impression, including Arthur Okonkwo, Chibuike Nwaiwu and Isaac James.

The NFF also noted that Portugal-based defender Isaac James, along with forwards George Ilhenikina and Moses Usor, are joining the senior national team for the first time.

24 Super Eagles for AFCON 2027 Qualifiers

Goalkeepers

• Arthur Okonkwo (Charlton Athletic, England)

• Maduka Okoye (Udinese Calcio, Italy)

• Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa)

Defenders

• Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece)

• Isaac James (Alverca FC, Portugal)

• Benjamin Fredricks (Brentford FC, England)

• Emmanuel Fernandez (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland)

• Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (Hull City, England)

• Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England)

• Chibuike Nwaiwu (Trabzonspor FC, Turkey)

• Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham FC, England)

• Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England)

Midfielders

• Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey)

• Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England)

• Raphael Onyedika (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany)

• Frank Onyeka (Coventry City, England)

Forwards

• Moses Simon (Paris FC, France)

• Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey)

• Akor Adams (Venezia FC, Italy)

• Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy)

• Ademola Lookman (Atletico Madrid, Spain)

• Tolu Arokodare (Ajax FC, The Netherlands)

• George Ilhenikina (Al Ittihad, Saudi Arabia)

• Moses Usor (LASK FC, Austria)

Russia Friendly Gets a Different Squad

Chelle has also selected a second 24-man squad for Nigeria’s friendly against Russia.

The match will be played on 6 October at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, exactly one week after Nigeria’s AFCON qualifier against Guinea-Bissau.

The NFF describes the group as a Super Eagles squad for the senior international friendly.

It includes some established players from the main AFCON group, including Ndidi, Moses Simon, Stanley Nwabali, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Benjamin Fredricks, Raphael Onyedika and Akor Adams.

At the same time, the squad contains several less-established players and a number of new faces.

The NFF says Finland-based goalkeeper Samuel James, Switzerland-based defender Victory Akpe, as well as several midfielders and forwards, will enter the Super Eagles camp for the first time.

24 Super Eagles for Russia Friendly

Goalkeepers

• Michael Atata (Ikorodu City)

• Samuel James (SJK FC, Finland)

• Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa)

Defenders

• Kenneth Igboke (Enugu Rangers)

• Isaac James (Alverca FC, Portugal)

• Benjamin Fredricks (Brentford FC, England)

• Emmanuel Fernandez (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland)

• Victory Akpe (FC Basel, Switzerland)

• Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham FC, England)

• Abdullahi Bewene (FC Banik Ostrava, Czechia)

Midfielders

• Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey)

• Raphael Onyedika (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany)

• Chibuzo Nwoko (Fulham FC, England)

• Stephen Michael (Vendsyssel FF, Denmark)

• Igor Wilfred (Kristiansund FC, Norway)

• Ridwan Abdulrasaq (Al Wasl, UAE)

• Suleiman Mubarak (Slavia Prague, Czechia)

• Aderemi Adeoye (Ikorodu City)

Forwards

• Kelechi Iheanacho (Bursaspor FC, Turkey)

• Moses Simon (Paris FC, France)

• Akor Adams (Venezia FC, Italy)

• Peter Edokpolor (SL Benfica, Portugal)

• Abubakar Umar (FC Famalicao, Portugal)

• Abdullahi Umar (Hradec Kralove, Czechia)

A Younger Group, But Not an U-23 Squad

The composition of the Russia group is particularly interesting.

Although it contains several younger and less-established players, it would be inaccurate to describe it as an exclusively U-23 squad.

The NFF has officially presented it as another 24-man Super Eagles squad, and established senior internationals such as Ndidi, Simon, Nwabali, Iheanacho and Akor Adams are included.

However, the younger profile of the group comes at an important time for Nigeria’s national-team setup.

Chelle is also overseeing Nigeria’s U-23 programme, with the Olympic Eagles preparing for their 2027 U-23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

The Russia friendly therefore provides an additional opportunity to assess players within the wider senior national-team environment.

Nigeria’s U-23 Pathway

Nigeria’s Olympic Eagles will enter the 2027 U-23 AFCON qualifiers at the second-round stage.

The team will face the winner of the first-round tie between Mauritania and DR Congo.

The second-round fixtures are scheduled for 9–17 November 2026, with the final qualifying round set for 22–30 March 2027.

The 2027 U-23 AFCON in Egypt will also serve as Africa’s qualifying tournament for the men’s football event at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

That makes the development of younger players particularly relevant as Chelle continues to assess the wider pool available to Nigeria.

Still, the immediate purpose of the Russia squad remains clear: it is a senior Super Eagles selection for an international friendly.

Three Matches in 12 Days

Nigeria’s next international assignments will come in quick succession.

The Super Eagles will begin their AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign against Madagascar in Uyo on 25 September, followed by the away fixture against Guinea-Bissau on 29 September.

The Russia friendly follows on 6 October.

The NFF has confirmed that the Russia fixture will be Nigeria’s second meeting with the country in 16 months. The previous encounter ended in a 1-1 draw in Moscow in June 2025, with Tolu Arokodare scoring Nigeria’s equaliser.

For Chelle, the two squads provide an opportunity to manage Nigeria’s immediate competitive objective while also giving a wider group of players exposure to senior international football.

The first priority will be the AFCON qualifiers.

Then, attention will turn to Russia, where a different group of Super Eagles will get the chance to make their mark.