SUPER Eagles coach Eric Chelle is expected to announce two separate squads this week for Nigeria’s upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, as well as the international friendly against Russia.
Nigeria will kick off their AFCON qualifying campaign later this month, having been drawn in Group L alongside Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau and co-hosts Tanzania, News Point Nigeria Sport reports.
The Super Eagles will be looking to begin the campaign on a strong note because of the peculiar nature of the group, which allows only the top team to qualify, with co-hosts Tanzania already guaranteed automatic qualification.
After wrapping up their first two qualifiers, the Super Eagles will take on Russia in an international friendly. The upcoming international window spans four weeks, with the Russia fixture arranged to make the most of the extended break.
With club football taking a back seat next weekend and the national team camp set to open, Chelle is scheduled to announce his squad for the fixtures soon. In recent days, names such as Arthur Okonkwo and George Ilenikhena have reportedly been included on the roster.
Fresh details regarding the squad selection have now emerged, with indications that Chelle is planning some intriguing changes to the composition of the teams.
According to journalist Clint Ayooye, Chelle’s squad list will be unveiled in the coming week and will feature a few intriguing tweaks.
The Franco-Malian tactician is expected to name two separate squads, with the primary squad featuring regular starters, barring injured players such as Zaidu Sanusi and Victor Osimhen.
That group will be tasked with handling Nigeria’s two AFCON qualifying matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
The second squad, meanwhile, will consist of fringe options and will be composed mainly of Under-23 players, with the group expected to execute the international friendly against Russia.
Given that Chelle also coaches the Olympic team, the Russia fixture provides an ideal platform for him to assess his options ahead of the upcoming Under-23 qualifiers.
As a result, a solid contingent of home-based players is expected to feature in the friendly, giving Chelle an opportunity to further assess players outside his regular senior-team selections.
A few players could also cross over and appear in both squads because of their age profile, potentially allowing them to feature in both the competitive qualifiers and the friendly.
Securing positive results from the upcoming fixtures will be vital for Nigeria, as the Super Eagles seek to build momentum and confidence ahead of future matches.