Super Eagles AFCON 2027Q: Four notable absentees from Chelle’s squad

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has released his squad for Nigeria’s upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, Afrik Foot reports.

Nigeria will begin their quest to qualify for the next edition of the Africa Cup of Nations with two games this month as they aim to secure the only available qualification spot in Group L, where they will also face co-hosts Tanzania.

The three-time African champions failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup earlier this year and will now be aiming to avoid another repeat of that disappointment as they look to make a fast start to their AFCON qualifying campaign.

Chelle named several regular players in his squad, while three players received their first invitations to the national team. Some other players also made their return to the squad after being away for some time.

However, there were some notable absentees from the squad, with some players missing due to injuries while others were left out by the coach.

Four Super Eagles players who will miss the AFCON 2027 qualifiers

1. Femi Azeez

One of the biggest names who will miss the qualifiers is Brighton & Hove Albion new boy Femi Azeez, who has been sidelined with an injury since August.

Azeez enjoyed a stunning 2025/26 season and earned a move to the Premier League on deadline day, joining Brighton. However, he is yet to make his debut for the club as he continues his recovery from an injury he suffered on the opening day of the Championship season while playing for Millwall.

The 25-year-old went on to make his Super Eagles debut during the 2026 Unity Cup tournament, where he scored twice on his debut. He also provided an assist in the final against Jamaica as Nigeria won the tournament for a fourth consecutive time.

However, Azeez will now miss this set of AFCON qualifiers, with Moses Usor reportedly brought in as his replacement. The Brighton winger will now use the international break to continue his recovery as he looks to regain full fitness and make his debut for his new club.

2. Terem Moffi

Another player who will miss out is Terem Moffi. The 27-year-old joined Bundesliga side Hamburg from Nice in the summer but is still settling into life at his new club and is yet to score for them.

Moffi scored twice and provided two assists in four games for the Super Eagles during the May and June matches. He also provided two assists in Nigeria’s 2-0 win over Zimbabwe in the Unity Cup semi-final and scored in the final victory over Jamaica.

He was also on target in the 2-2 draw against Poland just a few days after the tournament. However, Chelle has left Moffi out of the latest squad and the striker will now be looking to regain his best form at Hamburg and work his way back into the Super Eagles squad for the next round of games.

3. Alhassan Yusuf

Another notable absentee is New England Revolution midfielder Alhassan Yusuf, who will miss the qualifiers through injury.

Yusuf would have been in contention for a place in Chelle’s squad, but he suffered an injury during a league game against New York City FC. The midfielder picked up the problem following a challenge and was shown a yellow card before being substituted in the 19th minute.

Yusuf has been impressive in midfield for New England Revolution this season, while his last appearance for Nigeria was also a memorable one.

The midfielder scored twice in the Unity Cup final against Jamaica as the Super Eagles secured victory in the tournament.

However, his latest injury means he will miss the upcoming AFCON qualifiers and will have to focus on recovering before returning to action for both club and country.

4. Ryan Alebiosu

Ryan Alebiosu is another notable absentee from Chelle’s squad. The right-back has missed out amid strong competition for places in the position, with Ola Aina returning to the squad and other options such as Bright Osayi-Samuel also available to Chelle.

Alebiosu will now hope to continue performing at club level and force his way back into the Super Eagles setup when the next opportunity comes around.