Nigeria's 23-Man Squad for Lesotho and Benin Republic Matches Revealed

Eric Chelle announces 23-man squad for World Cup Qualifiers

Nigeria's squad is set for the World Cup qualifiers. Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, and more stars are ready to shine against Lesotho and Benin Republic.

Nigeria announces Squad, Osimhen and Lookman lead Charge in World Cup Qualifiers...

Nigeria's head coach, Eric Chelle, has revealed the 23-man squad for the crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and the Benin Republic. The team is led by star striker Victor Osimhen, who returns after missing the match against South Africa due to an injury sustained during the match against Rwanda.

Meanwhile, Sevilla star Akor Adams has earned his maiden senior call-up with fit-again defender Semilogo Ajayi, Terem Moffi, Alhassan Yusuf, and Russia-based Olakunle Olusegun returning to the squad.

Squad Breakdown

Goalkeepers:

• Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa)
• Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania)
• Adeleye Adebayo (Volos FC, Greece)

Defenders:

• William Ekong (Al-Kholood, Saudi Arabia)
• Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England)
• Semi Ajayi (Hull City, England)
• Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England)
• Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece)
• Felix Agu (Werder Bremen, Germany)
• Benjamin Fredrick (Dender FC, Belgium)

Midfielders:

• Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England)
• Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey)
• Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England)
• Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA)

Forwards:

• Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey)
• Ademola Lookman (Atalanta BC, Italy)
• Moses Simon (Paris FC, France)
• Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy)
• Cyriel Dessers (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland)
• Tolu Arokodare (KRC Genk, Belgium)
• Terem Moffi (OGC Nice, France)
• Akor Adams (Sevilla FC, Spain)
• Olakunle Olusegun (Pari Nizhny Novgorod, Russia)

Nigeria's Super Eagles are third in Group C with 11 points, three points behind leaders Benin Republic and South Africa. However, the recent FIFA sanction against South Africa for fielding an ineligible player, Teboho Mokoena, in their match against Lesotho could potentially alter the group standings. South Africa was deducted three points, and now Nigeria sees an opportunity to close the gap.

𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐄𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐝 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

Eric Chelle has unveiled his 23-man list for October’s #FIFAWCQ vs Lesotho 🇱🇸 & Benin 🇧🇯.

👑 Captain William Troost-Ekong leads the team
🔙 Semi Ajayi, Terem Moffi, Alhassan Yusuf & Olakunle Olusegun return
🆕 Akor… pic.twitter.com/QPuM9QJQPX

— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) October 3, 2025

The Super Eagles will aim to capitalize on this development and secure an automatic ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With the new standings, Nigeria's fixtures against Lesotho and Benin Republic become crucial in their quest for qualification.

Upcoming Matches

The Super Eagles will face Lesotho on October 10 in South Africa and host Benin Republic on October 14 in Uyo, Nigeria. These matches are crucial for Nigeria's World Cup qualification hopes, as they currently sit third in Group C with 11 points, three points behind leaders Benin and second-placed South Africa