Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle will announce two different squads this week. This is for Nigeria’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau. There will also be a friendly against Russia, according to PUNCH Sports Extra.
Chelle plans to keep most of his regular players for the two competitive matches. For the friendly on October 6 against Russia, he will likely use mostly U-23 players. This will help him look at options for the future.
Nigeria will kick off their AFCON qualifying campaign against Madagascar in Uyo on September 25. They will then travel to face Guinea-Bissau four days later.
The qualifiers will mostly feature the main Super Eagles squad. At least one new player may get a chance as Chelle continues to look at his options.
Russia Friendly
The friendly match against Russia will give the coach a different chance. Chelle also manages Nigeria’s Olympic team.
He is preparing a mostly U-23 squad for the game. This match will help him assess players before the upcoming Olympic qualifiers. It will also give young players a chance to experience senior international football.
Several young players have already been invited for the Russia match. The coach wants to see how they perform against strong European teams.
The friendly will take place at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, which holds 44,000 fans. This will be one week after Nigeria plays Guinea-Bissau in the AFCON qualifiers. The Super Eagles and Russia last played together in Moscow in June 2025, finishing the game in a 1-1 draw.
Chelle’s choice to work with two squads helps him keep his experienced players focused on winning the AFCON qualifiers. At the same time, he can look at younger players who might join the senior team in the future.
The announcements of these squads will show Chelle’s plans. He aims to prepare the Super Eagles for the AFCON qualifiers while also rebuilding the national team for the long term.
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