Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle is expected to name two separate squads this week as Nigeria prepare for their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, followed by a friendly against Russia.
Chelle is expected to rely on his established internationals for the two competitive fixtures, while giving greater opportunities to U-23 players in the subsequent friendly as he continues to assess options for the future.
Nigeria will begin their AFCON qualifying campaign against Madagascar in Uyo on September 25 before travelling to face Guinea-Bissau four days later.
The qualifiers are expected to feature the core of the Super Eagles squad, with at least one new player also reportedly in contention for a call-up as Chelle continues to evaluate his options.
The Russia friendly is expected to take a different approach.
Chelle, who also oversees Nigeria’s Olympic team, is reportedly planning to use a largely U-23 squad for the October 6 fixture. The match will provide emerging players with an opportunity to experience senior international football while allowing the coach to assess potential options ahead of the Olympic qualifiers.
Several young players have reportedly already received invitations for the Russia encounter, with Chelle keen to see how they perform against European opposition.
The friendly will be played at the 44,000-capacity Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, one week after Nigeria’s second AFCON qualifier against Guinea-Bissau.
Nigeria and Russia last met in Moscow in June 2025, with both sides playing out a 1-1 draw.
Chelle’s decision to work with two squads would allow him to keep his established players focused on the immediate objective of securing positive results in the AFCON qualifiers while giving younger players valuable international exposure.
The squad announcements are expected to provide a clearer picture of Chelle’s plans for both Nigeria’s immediate AFCON qualification campaign and his longer-term strategy for developing the Super Eagles.
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