AFCON 2025: The surprises in Super Eagles’ belated, bloated provisional list

Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has released Nigeria’s 55-man provisional squad for AFCON 2025 and conversations have already begun to gather momentum across every corner of Nigerian football.

With the deadline for final squad submission still days away, the Franco-Malian has chosen to cast a wide net, but the size and structure of the list have produced more debate than clarity.

The announcement was expected, but the content was not. Chelle has mixed returning names with players who have been out of the national picture for months, included individuals racing against time to be fit, and even sprinkled in a few youthful surprises. As always, once the names dropped, the talking points followed immediately.

From puzzling recalls to unexpected youngsters, the Super Eagles provisional squad delivered its fair share of shock value and these stand out the most.

Five most surprising names on the Super Eagles’ AFCON 2025 provisional list

Francis Uzoho

Uzoho’s return is easily the biggest eyebrow-raiser. The goalkeeper has been missing from the Super Eagles setup since early 2024, largely due to poor club minutes and high-profile errors that pushed him behind Stanley Nwabali, Maduka Okoye, Adebayo Adeleye, and Amas Obasogie. 

His last outing for Nigeria came at AFCON 2023 when he replaced the injured Nwabali late on, but he has not played competitive international football consistently since. Chelle including him again hints at a belief in experience or an attempt to keep all veteran options alive, even though recent form offers little justification.

Benjamin Frederick

Frederick’s selection is difficult to make sense of because he is fully ruled out of AFCON with injury.

The Brentford defender has been sidelined for a week now, yet remains on the list. It signals that the squad may have been compiled before the diagnosis but with CAF allowing updates, many expected a correction that never came.

Emmanuel Michael

The former Golden Eaglets left-back is the most left-field selection. Known for his free-kick technique at the U17s, Emmanuel Michael has quietly settled at LASK in Austria, logging seven senior appearances and two assists this season. 

Still just 19, he was not in any public conversation for AFCON or even for a senior call-up soon. Being listed as the 55th name makes him one of the most surprising inclusions and a sign that Chelle is monitoring more youth options than expected.

Taiwo Awoniyi

The injury-prone Awoniyi has not played for Nottingham Forest since November 9 after picking up a muscle injury, and he is yet to score a Premier League goal this season. 

The former Liverpool striker’s involvement in the provisional list is unexpected, not because of his ability, but because of his fitness and form. Chelle may see long-term value in his physical profile, but with AFCON only weeks away and no match rhythm behind him, many did not anticipate his name appearing.

Tom Dele-Bashiru

Tom Dele-Bashiru’s call up takes many back to the 2019 U20 World Cup, where he impressed as a teenager. Now at Gençlerbirliği in Turkey, he has pieced together a decent season with 11 matches and two assists, but was nowhere near public AFCON conversations.

Chelle’s decision suggests he is widening his midfield options beyond the usual suspects.