SUPER Eagles of Nigeria head coach Finidi George has called up UEFA Europa League final hat-trick hero Ademola Lookman, African Player of the Year Victor Osimhen and Wilfred Ndidi as well as 20 other stars for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic in June.
Finidi also recalled Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye to compete with Chippa United’s Stanley Nwabali and Enyimba’s Ojo Olorunleke for the No.1 position.
The 23-man squad is made up mostly of the stars that featured at the AFCON 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in February, including England-based defenders Calvin Bassey and Semi Ajayi, midfielders Alex Iwobi and Alhassan Yusuf, and forwards Kelechi Iheanacho and Terem Moffi.
Wilfred Ndidi and Victor Boniface, who both missed AFCON 2023 with injuries as the Super Eagles reached the final, are also included in Finidi’s first competitive Super Eagles squad.
Remo Stars defender Sadiq Ismael, who is called up for the first time, is the only Nigeria Premier Football League outfield player in the squad as Nottingham Forest’s Ola Aina misses out due to an injury.
Turkey-based midfielder Fisayo Bashiru, Bayer Leverkusen of Germany’s Nathan Tella and Trabzonspor’s towering striker Paul Onuachu are also included.
Nigeria host South Africa at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Friday, June 7 starting from 8pm, and then fly to Abidjan to take on Benin Republic at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny three days later starting from 5pm Nigerian time.
EAGLES FOR BAFANA, CHEETAHS BATTLES
Goalkeepers:
Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Ojo Olorunleke (Enyimba FC)
Defenders:
Chidozie Awaziem (Boavista FC, Portugal); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce FC, Turkey); Sadiq Ismael (Remo Stars FC); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Benjamin Tanimu (Ihefu SC, Tanzania)
Midfielders:
Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (Royal Antwerp FC, Belgium); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Hatayspor, Turkey)
Forwards:
Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Victor Osimhen (SSC Napoli, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Paul Onuachu (Trabzonspor FC, Turkey); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Terem Moffi (OGC Nice, France)
