Super Eagles vs Madagascar: 2 midfield headaches that Chelle faces ahead of AFCON qualifiers

The Super Eagles are set to return to action later this week, as they take on Madagascar in their opening game of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, Afrik-Foot report.

The game will take place at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Friday, September 25. Coach Eric Chelle invited 24 players to camp for this fixture amid injuries to some key players.

Even among the invited players, some are struggling with injury or lack of game time, two of which. Chelle invited only four midfielders, and two are Wilfred Ndidi and Raphael Onyedika.

📋 Eric Chelle names squads for September and October 2026 Fixtures. pic.twitter.com/W3zThCDUfE

— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) September 17, 2026

These two players could potentially be a source of concern for the coaching staff. In this article, we write about the two issues surrounding these two players.

Ndidi’s Lack of Game Time at Besiktas

Wilfred Ndidi remains one of the most experienced midfielders in the Super Eagles squad and is even the captain, but his club situation has become a concern heading into the international break.

The Besiktas midfielder has struggled for regular minutes at the start of the 2026/27 season.

Ndidi has appeared in five of Besiktas’ league matches, but he has started only once and has accumulated just 143 minutes. Four of his five appearances have come from the bench.

His most recent league appearance before the international break came against Erzurumspor on September 11, when he played only 19 minutes. That lack of rhythm could present Chelle with a difficult decision.

Ndidi’s experience and defensive qualities make him an obvious candidate to anchor the midfield, but the question is whether the 29-year-old can immediately produce his best level after spending much of the opening weeks of the season as a substitute.

The issue is particularly relevant because Nigeria’s midfield options have already been reduced by injuries to Tochukwu Nnadi, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Alhassan Yusuf.

Onyedika’s Shoulder Scare

Raphael Onyedika presents a different concern. Unlike Ndidi, the midfielder arrives in camp with strong club involvement. He started Eintracht Frankfurt’s 2-2 draw with Freiburg and played almost the entire match before suffering a shoulder problem in the 91st minute.

Onyedika required treatment after a duel with Freiburg substitute Lucas Höler but was able to continue until the final whistle.

The positive news for Chelle is that the injury has since been assessed as not serious. Reports indicate there is no obstacle to Onyedika joining Nigeria for the international window.

However, the timing of the incident means Chelle will still need to monitor the midfielder’s condition ahead of Friday’s match. Shoulder problems are usually touch and go, and once it pops out, it is difficult to play through the pain.

Onyedika is one of only four midfielders selected for the Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau qualifiers, alongside Ndidi, Alex Iwobi and Frank Onyeka. That leaves Chelle with little room for further setbacks.

With Ndidi lacking regular club minutes and Onyedika recovering from a late shoulder scare, the Super Eagles coach must decide how best to balance experience, match fitness and physical readiness in the middle of the pitch.