Super Eagles squad: 5 Chelle hits and misses after Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau selection

Eric Chelle’s 24-man Super Eagles squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers has brought several new faces into the group while leaving some in-form players out, Afrik-Foot reports.

Nigeria host Madagascar in Uyo on September 25 before travelling to Guinea-Bissau four days later. Chelle has also had to deal with injuries to players such as Zaidu Sanusi and Femi Azeez.

Here are five selection decisions that stand out.

HIT: Nwabali gets his chance to return

Stanley Nwabali’s recall makes sense in the context of his recent club football. The Chippa United goalkeeper was left out of Nigeria’s recent squads but has returned after regaining his place at club level. Chelle selected him alongside Maduka Okoye and Arthur Okonkwo.

Nwabali also brings major tournament experience.

He was Nigeria’s goalkeeper at AFCON 2025 and produced one of the tournament’s memorable moments when he saved two penalties against Egypt in the third-place play-off.

His return gives Chelle an experienced option in a position where Okoye and Okonkwo are also pushing for the starting shirt.

HIT: Isaac James gets promoted at the right moment

Isaac James has earned his first senior invitation after a strong start to the season with Alverca.

The 22-year-old has started all six of the Portuguese club’s league matches, playing 514 minutes and providing two assists. He can operate at left-back, left wing-back or as a left-sided centre-back.

His call-up also fills a clear squad need. Zaidu Sanusi is injured, so Chelle needed another option on the left side of defence. James now gets an opportunity to move from club football into the Super Eagles setup. It is a selection based on both form and need.

HIT: Ilenikhena and Usor are rewarded for strong starts

Chelle has opened the door to two young forwards who have started the season well.

George Ilenikhena has scored four goals and provided two assists in 323 minutes across six Saudi Pro League appearances for Al-Ittihad. He scored twice against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr and added another goal against Al-Fayha before supplying two assists against Al-Faisaly all in a matter of days.

Moses Usor’s case is also built on recent output.

The LASK forward scored and assisted in the 5-1 Champions League play-off win over Celtic in late August, helping his side overturn a 3-0 first-leg defeat. He has three goals and four assists across nine league and Champions League appearances this season.

Both Ilenikhena and Usor have been given their first senior invitations.

Usor’s call-up came after Femi Azeez was ruled out with a muscle injury, but his form made him a natural replacement.

QUESTION: Why pick injured Osimhen while leaving out in-form strikers?

Victor Osimhen’s selection is the clearest fitness question in the squad.

The Galatasaray striker has not played since suffering a right-groin injury against Istanbul Basaksehir in early September. Galatasaray subsequently confirmed a strain with bleeding in the area.

Yet Chelle has kept him in the squad for Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.

That decision can be understood as keeping the door open for a late recovery, but it also creates a contrast with several fit, productive forwards who were left out.

Gift Orban has six goals and one assist in five Turkish league appearances for Amedspor, including a hat-trick against Başakşehir last weekend.

Kelechi Iheanacho has gone even further statistically, scoring nine goals and providing two assists in seven Turkish second-tier matches for Bursaspor.

Paul Onuachu also has a strong recent record. He won the 2025-26 Süper Lig Golden Boot after scoring 22 goals in 30 league games for Trabzonspor.

Chelle has therefore chosen Osimhen despite his injury while leaving three forwards with strong recent scoring records outside the September qualifier squad.

QUESTION: Is Chelle looking beyond raw numbers?

The omissions suggest that Chelle is not selecting the squad from club statistics alone.

Iheanacho’s case proves that point. Despite his nine goals and two assists for Bursaspor, he has not been discarded from the national-team picture. He has been selected for the separate October friendly against Russia.

Orban’s situation is different, with his international eligibility history adding another factor to his selection case.

Onuachu’s recent injury also makes his omission easier to understand despite his 22-goal Golden Boot campaign.

Chelle has instead selected a squad that mixes established players with new options such as James, Ilenikhena and Usor.

The September qualifiers will provide the first competitive evidence of how those decisions work on the pitch.

Nigeria face Madagascar in Uyo on September 25 before travelling to tackle Guinea-Bissau.