Eric Chelle has named two significantly different Super Eagles squads for the September 2027 AFCON qualifiers and the October international friendly against Russia and the changes are already raising questions across Softfootball Nigeria.
Only nine players appear in both squads, meaning 16 players from the AFCON qualifiers list are missing from the Russia squad, while 16 new names have been introduced.
Players Missing From the October Squad
Among the notable September selections left out are:
- Arthur Okonkwo
- Maduka Okoye
- Bruno Onyemaechi
- Calvin Bassey
- Ola Aina
- Chibuike Nwaiwu
- Oluwasemilogo Ajayi
- Alexander Iwobi
- Frank Onyeka
- Ademola Lookman
- Samuel Chukwueze
- Victor Osimhen
- Tolu Arokodare
- George Ilenikhena
- Raphael Onyeka
The biggest talking point is undoubtedly Victor Osimhen, who appears in the September AFCON squad but is absent from the October list as he continues recovering from injury.
There are also major changes in midfield, with Iwobi and Frank Onyeka missing, while the attack loses Lookman, Chukwueze, Osimhen, Arokodare, and Ilenikhena.
New Faces for Russia
Chelle has introduced several players who were not part of the September squad, including:
- Chibuzor Atata
- Samuel James
- Kenneth Igbokwe
- Abdullahi Bewene
- Victory Akpe
- Chibuzo Nwoko
- Fumen Michael
- Georges Wilfred
- Popoola Abdulrasaq
- Suleiman Mubarak
- Jacob Adeoye
- Kelechi Iheanacho
- Edokplor Peter
- Umar Abubakar
- Abdullai Umar
Iheanacho’s return stands out, while several relatively unfamiliar names have been added as Chelle tests depth ahead of future competitions.
Only Nine Players Retained
The players selected for both the AFCON qualifiers and the Russia friendly are:
- Stanley Nwabali
- Isaac James
- Benjamin Frederick
- Emmanuel Fernandez
- Bright Osayi‑Samuel
- Wilfred Ndidi
- Raphael Onyedika
- Moses Simon
- Akor Adams
This means Chelle is taking a very different approach to the Russia friendly compared with the AFCON qualifiers — blending experimentation, squad rotation, and injury management.
