Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has made two late changes to Nigeria’s squad for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin Republic, following injuries to two key players.
Chelle, who initially announced his 23-man list on Friday, was forced to recall Zaidu Sanusi and Christantus Uche after Cyriel Dessers and Bright Osayi-Samuel were ruled out due to injuries sustained with their respective clubs.
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Sanusi, who plays for FC Porto, makes a timely return to the national setup after recovering from a lengthy injury spell that kept him out of the team’s international engagements.
He last featured for the Super Eagles at the last Africa Cup of Nations in Cote D’Ivoire where the Super Eagles finished with a silver medal.
His experience and defensive balance on the left flank are expected to provide a boost to Chelle’s side.
Christantus Uche, meanwhile, gets another chance to impress on the international stage.
The in-form forward has been one of the standout performing Super Eagles players in Europe
He switched from Laliga to the English Premier League, playing for Crystal Palace to underine his rise in stock.
Christantus Uche will add more fire power to the Super Eagles midfield as he replaces Cyril Dessers who is unavailable due to injury
Nigeria will begin their October international window away to Lesotho on October 10 in Maseru before returning to Abuja to face Benin Republic on October 14.
Both games are considered crucial as the Super Eagles need to win both matches to standard a chance winning a ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
With the latest adjustments, Eric Chelle’s men are expected to resume training camp on Monday in Abuja before flying out to Maseru for the must win encounter.
The Rejig 23 Man Super Eagles Squad
Goalkeepers:
Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United), Amas Obasogie (Bendel Insurance), Adebayo Adeleye (Hapoel Jerusalem)
Defenders:
Felix Agu (Werder Bremen), Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista), Semi Ajayi (West Brom), William Troost-Ekong (PAOK), Calvin Bassey (Fulham), Benjamin Fredrick (Brøndby), Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto)
Midfielders:
Alex Iwobi (Fulham), Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City), Frank Onyeka (Brentford), Alhassan Yusuf (Royal Antwerp)
Forwards:
Moses Simon (Nantes), Ademola Lookman (Atalanta), Tolu Arokodare (Genk), Victor Osimhen (Napoli), Terem Moffi (Nice), Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan), Akor Adams (Montpellier), Christantus Uche (Crystal Palace), Ola Olusegun (Sochi)
