Osimhen and Iwobi headline Nigeria squad as Ilenikhena earns maiden call-up

[p]Captain [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ndidi-wilfred/E71XyFGi/"]Wilfred Ndidi[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/osimhen-victor/23YHG47R/"]Victor Osimhen[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/lookman-ademola/8QK1SO5g/"]Ademola Lookman[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/iwobi-alex/2L5gbR8M/"]Alex Iwobi[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/simon-moses/Cj5rnjpG/"]Moses Simon[/a] headline the squad for the two fixtures, which will be played within four days.[/p][p]The three-time African champions will [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/madagascar-88OzY9OB/nigeria-EBE2Xb3l/?mid=dS6bdM1S"]host Madagascar’s Barea[/a] at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, on Friday, 25 September, before [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/guinea-bissau-0rJs9H8F/nigeria-EBE2Xb3l/?mid=hWcNCsn9"]travelling to Bissau to face Guinea-Bissau’s Wild Dogs[/a] on Tuesday, 29 September.[/p][p]Goalkeeper [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nwabili-stanley/f7Sr6Oxg/"]Stanley Nwabali[/a] retains his place, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/okoye-maduks/Gr6T6rIt/"]Maduka Okoye[/a] and Unity Cup standout [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/okwonko-arthur/WjvelGST/"]Arthur Okonkwo[/a] also included in the squad.[/p][embed guid="63860024-3a08-442d-8d3b-e0688320b621" url="https://x.com/NGSuperEagles/status/2100649693864689849" social-type="twitter" /][p]Coach Chelle has recalled England-based defenders Olaoluwa Aina and Benjamin Fredricks, while Semi Ajayi, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bassey-calvin/faJVc0Mk/"]Calvin Bassey[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/osayi-samuel-bright/K8EVlkle/"]Bright Osayi-Samuel[/a] are also selected.[/p][p]Portugal-based defender [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/james-isaac/GjVTxPsc/"]Isaac James[/a] receives his first [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nigeria/EBE2Xb3l/"]Super Eagles[/a] call-up, as well as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ilenikhena-george/t41NlDfO/"]George Ilenikhena[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/usor-moses/U9LlcXIJ/"]Moses Usor[/a].[/p][p]In midfield, Ndidi and Iwobi are joined by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/onyeka-ogochukwu/trmcDRt1/"]Frank Onyeka[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/onyedika-raphael/lGk4guoq/"]Raphael Onyedika[/a], while the attacking options include Osimhen, Lookman, Simon, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chukwueze-samuel/niW1cP0k/"]Samuel Chukwueze[/a], [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/adams-akor/nks9eiQ4/"]Akor Adams[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/arokodare-toluwalase/4IsrUYg1/"]Tolu Arokodare[/a].[/p][p]Nigeria will be aiming to collect maximum points from both matches as they begin their journey towards the 2027 AFCON, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.[/p][h2]Full squad[/h2][p][b]Goalkeepers: [/b]Arthur Okonkwo (Charlton Athletic, England); Maduka Okoye (Udinese Calcio, Italy); Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa)[/p][p][b]Defenders:[/b] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/onyemaechi-sopuruchukwu-bruno/xjMcnc2e/"]Bruno Onyemaechi[/a] (Olympiakos, Greece); Isaac James (Alverca FC, Portugal); Benjamin Fredricks (Brentford FC, England); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fernandez-emmanuel/KWRglvco/"]Emmanuel Fernandez[/a] (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (Hull City, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nwaiwu-chibuike/fgb6scPi/"]Chibuike Nwaiwu[/a] (Trabzonspor FC, Turkey); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England)[/p][p][b]Midfielders:[/b] Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Raphael Onyedika (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany); Frank Onyeka (Coventry City, England)[/p][p][b]Forwards: [/b]Moses Simon (Paris FC, France); Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Akor Adams (Venezia FC, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Ademola Lookman (Atletico Madrid, Spain); Tolu Arokodare (Ajax FC, The Netherlands); George Ilenikhena (Al Ittihad, Saudi Arabia); Moses Usor (LASK FC, Austria)[/p][h2]Squad for Russia friendly[/h2][p][b]Goalkeepers: [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/atata-micheal/WSfbbZfC/"]Micheal Atata[/a] (Ikorodu City); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/james-samuel/WxdkUMhR/"]Samuel James[/a] (SJK FC, Finland); Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa)[/p][p][b]Defenders: [/b]Kenneth Igboke (Enugu Rangers); Isaac James (Alverca FC, Portugal); Benjamin Fredricks (Brentford FC, England); Emmanuel Fernandez (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/akpe-victory/CYCcLlg5/"]Victory Akpe[/a] (FC Basel, Switzerland); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham FC, England); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bewene-abdullahi-ibrahim/hnBCvCBG/"]Abdullahi Bewene[/a] (FC Banik Ostrava, Czechia)[/p][p][b]Midfielders: [/b]Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey); Raphael Onyedika (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/nwoko-chibuzo/Ei4ZYxje/"]Chibuzo Nwoko[/a] (Fulham FC, England); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/michael-stephen/vBLMO09L/"]Stephen Michael[/a] (Vendsyssel FF, Denmark); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/igor-wilfred-george/xSlqLZud/"]Igor Wilfred[/a] (Kristiansund FC, Norway); Ridwan Abdulrasaq (Al Wasl, UAE); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/suleiman-mubarak/ltctozq4/"]Suleiman Mubarak[/a] (Slavia Prague, Czechia); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/adeoye-aderemi/visMhdmm/"]Aderemi Adeoye[/a] (Ikorodu City);[/p][p][b]Forwards: [/b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/iheanacho-kelechi/dIaES012/"]Kelechi Iheanacho[/a] (Bursaspor FC, Turkey); Moses Simon (Paris FC, France); Akor Adams (Venezia FC, Italy); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/edokpolor-peter/8d0p92q2/"]Peter Edokpolor[/a] (SL Benfica, Portugal); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/abubakar-umar/xGvHVPue/"]Abubakar Umar[/a] (FC Famalicao, Portugal); [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/umar-abdullahi/SvpGeePj/"]Abdullahi Umar[/a] (Hradec Kralove, Czechia)[/p][image alt="Shina Oludare" id="bd549a5c-f21d-4091-9547-fa3fdba7e3b5" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="e6f9413e-a681-43db-8be7-54b79152f0bc" original-width="1200" original-height="381" /]