Eric Chelle names separate squads for September and October 2026 fixtures

Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle has named separate squads for the Super Eagles’ upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau and the October international friendly against Russia.

Chelle has retained a strong core of experienced players for the September qualifiers, with Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, Samuel Chukwueze and Stanley Nwabali among the headline names.

Nigeria will host Madagascar in Uyo on September 25 before travelling to Bissau to face Guinea-Bissau on September 29 as they begin their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.

The coach has also handed opportunities to several younger players, including defender Isaac James, forward George Ilenikhena and Moses Usor.

For the October 6 friendly against Russia, Chelle has selected a significantly different group, featuring several less-established players. Kelechi Iheanacho, Moses Simon, Akor Adams, Wilfred Ndidi and Raphael Onyedika are among the more experienced names in the squad.

The Russia fixture will give Chelle an opportunity to assess additional players while continuing to build his wider pool ahead of future international assignments.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">📋 Eric Chelle names squads for September and October 2026 Fixtures. <a href="https://t.co/W3zThCDUfE">pic.twitter.com/W3zThCDUfE</a></p>&mdash; 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) <a href="https://x.com/NGSuperEagles/status/2100649693864689849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>