Nigeria kick off their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign on Friday, and already the team news is complicated.
The Super Eagles face Madagascar’s Barea at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on 25 September 2026, with kick-off set for 5 PM Nigerian time. Head coach Eric Chelle named a 24-man squad for the fixture, but the build-up has been shaped less by tactical preparation than by a string of absentees that have forced his hand before a ball is kicked.
It began with Victor Osimhen. The striker, Nigeria’s most dangerous forward and the man Chelle would have built his attack around, failed to recover from injury in time to feature. Chelle moved quickly, calling up Taiwo Awoniyi as a direct replacement, and the squad adjusted accordingly.
Then came a stranger problem. As of the time this report was filed, only 23 of the 24 named players had attended training. Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye had not yet reported to camp. The Udinese shot-stopper was photographed in Milan on Tuesday — not at a training ground, but at a fashion week event, modelling his club’s third kit. His delayed arrival, whatever the explanation, has effectively resolved Chelle’s goalkeeping selection for him.
With Okoye absent from sessions, Stanley Nwabali is expected to start between the posts. The goalkeeper, returning to the squad, is the natural choice, and Arthur Okonkwo is likely to serve as backup on the bench. It is not the situation Chelle would have chosen, but the decision has been made for him.
At the back, Calvin Bassey and Semi Ajayi are in line to partner as centre-backs, though the return of Benjamin Frederick gives Chelle a reason to reconsider that pairing if he wants. In the full-back positions, Ola Aina and Bruno Onyemaechi are the obvious selections, yet Bright Osayi-Samuel‘s performances at AFCON 2025 make him difficult to ignore. Chelle has previously deployed two right-footed players across the defensive flanks, and that option has not been ruled out for Uyo.
The midfield picture looks more settled. Wilfred Ndidi, the captain, and Frank Onyeka are expected to screen the defence, providing the platform for Alex Iwobi to operate as the creative force ahead of them. That combination offers Chelle the balance he has favoured, and there is little pressure to change it.
Up front, the Osimhen absence leaves the most consequential gap. Ademola Lookman appears secure in his position, and Akor Adams looks set to feature, but the identity of the third attacking player remains genuinely open. Awoniyi was called up specifically to fill Osimhen’s role, which makes him the frontrunner, yet George Ilenikhena and vice-captain Moses Simon are both credible alternatives. Chelle’s predicted lineup places Simon in that position alongside Lookman and Adams, with Awoniyi and Ilenikhena available from the bench.
The full predicted starting eleven reads: Nwabali; Osayi-Samuel, Ajayi, Bassey, Aina; Onyeka, Ndidi, Iwobi; Lookman, Simon, Adams.
For supporters wanting to follow the action, Canal+ and beIN Sports are the primary broadcasters across Africa, with CAF expected to confirm additional channels — including free-to-air options — ahead of kick-off. Nigeria will be determined to begin the qualifying campaign with three points regardless of the selection disruptions, and Madagascar, for all their relative modesty on the continental stage, will arrive in Uyo with nothing to lose.