Nigeria’s attacking options for the 2027 AFCON qualifiers are looking decidedly thin. With Victor Osimhen already ruled out through injury, Tolu Arokodare has now admitted he is not fully fit — raising serious questions about the Super Eagles’ firepower ahead of their matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
What you need to know
Arokodare was candid in a way that coaches rarely welcome. “I needed this match to realise that I am not yet 100 per cent fit,” he told ESPN. “We had a tactical training session in the morning and my legs were weak. I wanted to start, but I don’t think I could have.” He added that he hopes to recover fully during the international break — which is precisely the break Nigeria needs him for.
Chelle’s options are narrowing fast
The timing could hardly be worse. Nigeria’s qualification campaign demands results. Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau are not insurmountable opponents, but they are not pushovers either, and fielding a half-fit striker in either fixture is a gamble Chelle can ill afford.
Osimhen’s absence was already a blow. The Galatasaray forward was initially named in the squad despite his fitness concerns, then dropped entirely after it became clear he was not match-ready. That decision — inviting him first, cutting him later — speaks to the thin margin Chelle is operating within. Awoniyi’s call-up fills the squad number, but it does not automatically fill the void left by Nigeria’s most potent attacker.
The bigger picture
Nigeria cannot afford to treat AFCON qualifying as a rehearsal. The Super Eagles have stumbled in qualification campaigns before, and the pattern of relying on a single striker — Osimhen — while the depth behind him remains fragile is a structural problem that one international window will not solve. Arokodare’s loan move to Ajax was meant to sharpen his edge. His goal on Sunday showed the quality is there. Whether his body catches up before kick-off is the question that now sits squarely on Chelle’s desk.