Eric Chelle’s Super Eagles squad faces several selection problems before Nigeria’s opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Zaidu Sanusi has an adductor injury, Yira Sor has suffered a hamstring injury and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru is recovering from a thigh problem. Tochukwu Nnadi also suffered a knee injury for Marseille on August 30. Semi Ajayi initially raised concerns after being substituted against Manchester United with a hamstring complaint, but he returned to training and was cleared to play.
Nigeria will face Madagascar on September 23 before travelling to Guinea-Bissau four days later.
The injuries leave vacancies across defence, midfield and attack. The following five players stand out because they combine positional relevance, current club involvement, previous production or previous Nigeria exposure.
Isaac James
Club: Alverca
Age: 22
Position: Left-back
2026/27: Four Primeira Liga appearances, four starts, 344 minutes, two assists
Nigeria: No senior cap
James has started all four of Alverca’s Primeira Liga matches and has provided two assists.
He started 17 of his 19 league appearances for the Portuguese club in 2025/26, when he recorded two assists.
His latest appearance came in Alverca’s 1-0 defeat by Estoril on August 30, when he played the full 90 minutes.
Emmanuel Godwin
Club: Pardubice
Age: 21
Position: Left-back
2026/27: Five Czech First League appearances, five starts, 400 minutes
Nigeria: No senior cap
Godwin has started all five of Pardubice’s league matches, completing 400 minutes.
He played 90 minutes against Jablonec on August 29 as Pardubice lost 1-0.
His 2025/26 campaign brought 27 league appearances, including 23 starts, for the Czech club.
Femi Azeez
Club: Millwall
Age: 25
Position: Attacking midfielder/forward
2026/27: Two appearances, 111 minutes
Nigeria: Two caps, two goals
Azeez started Millwall’s Championship match against Bristol City on August 22 and played 28 minutes before featuring for 83 minutes against QPR in the EFL Cup.
His previous campaign produced 11 Championship goals and seven assists from 37 appearances.
He scored twice on his Nigeria debut against Zimbabwe in June before providing an assist against Jamaica at the Unity Cup.
Philip Otele
Club: Basel
Age: 27
Position: Winger
2026/27: Four Swiss Super League appearances, two starts, 181 minutes
Nigeria: One cap
Otele played the final 15 minutes of Basel’s 3-3 draw against Young Boys on August 29.
He started two of Basel’s first four league matches and has played 181 minutes.
The winger recorded six league goals and five assists across Basel and Hamburg during 2025/26.
Otele made his Nigeria debut in 2026.
Francis Onyeka
Club: Elversberg
Age: 19
Position: Attacking midfielder
2026/27: Two appearances, 86 minutes, two goals, one assist
Nigeria: No senior cap; Germany youth international
Onyeka scored twice against MSV Duisburg in the DFB-Pokal on August 22.
He then started Elversberg’s Bundesliga match against Bayer Leverkusen on August 29, playing 64 minutes and supplying an assist.
The teenager has represented Germany at youth level and captained the Under-19 side at the 2026 European Championship.
His role differs from Dele-Bashiru’s, but his attacking midfield profile fits the area affected by the Lazio midfielder’s injury.
