AFCON 2027 Qualifiers: Why Nigeria Have Fresh Hope as Super Eagles Begin Campaign Under Eric Chelle

• Nigeria kick off their AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign with games against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau in the first international window
• Victor Osimhen is absent from the squad after suffering a right upper abductor strain in early September, leaving Nigeria without their top striker
• Eric Chelle has named a strong core squad built around Premier League players while fielding younger talent for a friendly against Russia

Nigeria's Super Eagles are set to open their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign under head coach Éric Chelle, who has named a squad featuring several English Premier League regulars as the team looks to secure a place at a tournament to be held across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

The first international window sees Nigeria host Madagascar before travelling to face Guinea-Bissau four days later.

A third game, a friendly against Russia in Nizhny Novgorod, completes the series, though Chelle has chosen to rest the more established names for that fixture and use it instead to assess younger players with a potential future in the senior setup.

Osimhen blow ahead of qualifiers

The biggest concern heading into the opening matches is the injury of Victor Osimhen.

The Galatasaray forward suffered a right upper abductor strain in early September, as seen on the club's official website, but has been named in the Super Eagles squad to face Madagascar or Guinea-Bissau.

The 2023 CAF Men's Player of the Year has not been considered for the Russia friendly even if declared fit before then.

If Osimhen is eventually ruled out of both AFCON qualifiers, the attacking burden is expected to fall on new boy George Ilhenikhena or Tolu Arokodare, to lead Nigeria's attack alongside the likes of Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueze.

The squad's spine runs heavily through the Premier League, with Fulham's Calvin Bassey anchoring the defence alongside Ola Aina of Nottingham Forest and Semi Ajayi of Hull City.

In midfield, Alex Iwobi, also of Fulham, and Coventry City's Frank Onyeka provide further English top-flight presence.

Chelle's position and AFCON qualification outlook

Chelle, who took charge at the start of 2025, has kept his job despite Nigeria failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

His management of the three-time African champions during the last AFCON and against other competitive opposition has been enough to retain the confidence of those running Nigerian football, per Mytopsportsbooks.

Nigeria currently sit around the mid-20s in the FIFA world rankings and are regarded as the fourth-best side on the continent.

All three of their group opponents rank considerably lower, which makes qualification achievable, though Chelle's side has been caught out in such situations before.

According to CAF Online, only one automatic berth is available from the group alongside Tanzania, adding some pressure to the campaign.

The majority of qualifying matches are scheduled for completion before the end of 2025, with the final two fixtures due in March 2026. Should the Super Eagles come through the group stage, attention will shift to challenging for the AFCON title itself, with the tournament set for June 2027.

Legit.ng has previously reported on Nigeria's qualification setbacks for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the debate surrounding managerial appointments in the Super Eagles setup.

Guinea-Bissau release squad to face Nigeria

Earlier, Legit.ng reported about Guinea-Bissau’s 25-man squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Tanzania and Nigeria.

The Nigeria fixture will test a Guinea-Bissau side featuring players from clubs such as Galatasaray, Athletic Bilbao and Fiorentina. With both teams aiming to make a strong start to the qualification race, the September 29 clash promises to be a closely watched encounter.