Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has named a 55-man provisional squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, with notable returnees including Victor Boniface, Francis Uzoho, Kelechi Iheanacho, and Ola Aina.
Aina had been sidelined after an injury in Nigeria’s draw against South Africa in September during World Cup qualifiers, while Boniface, Uzoho, and Iheanacho had been absent from recent matches.
The squad was released on the team’s social media handles on Tuesday evening, less than three weeks before the AFCON finals in Morocco. Nigeria will open the tournament against Tanzania’s Taifa Stars in Fez on December 23.
Goalkeepers named include:
Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United),
Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars),
Maduka Okoya (Udinese),
Adebayo Adeleye (Volos),
Francis Uzoho (Omonia), and
Ebenezer Harcourt (Sporting Lagos).
Defenders on the list are;
William Ekong (Al-Kholood),
Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest),
Calvin Bassey (Fulham),
Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (Hull City),
Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City),
Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos),
Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes),
Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto),
Igoh Ogbu (Slavia Prague),
Felix Agu (Werder Bremen),
Ryan Alebiosu (Blackburn Rovers), and
Adekunle Adeleke (Abia Warriors).
Midfielders called up include;
Alex Iwobi (Fulham),
Frank Onyeka (Brentford),
Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution),
Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas),
Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge),
Christantus Uche (Crystal Palace),
Tochukwu Nnadi (Zulte Waregem),
Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (SS Lazio),
Ebenezer Akinsanmiro (Pisa SC),
Usman Muhammed (Ironi Tiberias),
Peter Agba (Maccabi Haifa), and
Tom Dele-Bashiru (Gençlerbirligi SK).
Forwards on the list include;
Ademola Lookman (Atalanta),
Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham),
Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray),
Simon Moses (Paris FC),
Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla),
Tolu Arokodare (Wolves),
Akor Adams (Sevilla),
Olakunle Olusegun (Pari Nizhny Novgorod),
Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad),
Kelechi Iheanacho (Celtic Glasgow),
Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest),
Victor Boniface (Werder Bremen),
Paul Onuachu (Trabzonspor),
Terem Moffi (OGC Nice),
Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen),
Cyriel Dessers (Panathinaikos),
Abdulrasheed Shehu (Niger Tornadoes),
Rafiu Durosinmi (Viktoria Plzen),
Ekeson Okorie (Nasarawa United),
Chisom Orji (Warri Wolves), Chukwubuikem Ikwuemesi (OH Leuven),
Philip Otele (FC Basel),
Salim Fago Lawal (NK Istra 1961), and
Emmanuel Michael (Linzer Athletik SK).
The squad combines experienced players with new invites as Nigeria prepares for the continental tournament in Morocco.
