The Super Eagles are back in business. After a two-month club-season hiatus that followed the conclusion of the 2025 AFCON campaign in Morocco, Eric Chelle has unveiled two carefully differentiated squads for the most important period of Nigeria’s 2026 international calendar.
Eric Chelle, the Super Eagles head coach, has unveiled an exciting blend of established stars and emerging talents as Nigeria intensifies preparations for future international competitions, including the next Africa Cup of Nations.
While the Unity Cup squad features a blend of experienced internationals, home-based talent and new faces, the friendlies against Poland and Portugal will see Nigeria return to a more full-strength setup led by stars like Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi.
Nigeria will face Zimbabwe in the semi-final of the Unity Cup at Charlton Athletic’s The Valley Stadium on Tuesday, May 26, with the winner advancing to the final against either Jamaica or India.
Key absentees and domestic players selected
Seven NPFL players were selected for the Unity Cup, including Michael Atata, Elias Ochobi and Chibueze Oputa from NPFL clubs. Ochobi and Oputa are both products of the 2025/26 title race.
Ochobi plays for Rivers United, while Oputa plays for Enugu Rangers, and their call-ups represent a direct reward for the quality on display in the domestic season. Oputa, known for his pace and attacking contributions from right-back, is often dubbed the ‘Reece James of the NPFL’.
Notable absentees from the June friendlies include Ola Aina, Benjamin Fredericks, Taiwo Awoniyi, and Stanley Nwabali. Nwabali’s absence is the most significant. The first-choice goalkeeper during the 2025 AFCON has been omitted, opening the door for Okoye to firmly reclaim the No. 1 jersey ahead of AFCON 2027 qualification
Austin Eguavoen, NFF Technical Director and senior adviser to coach Chelle, addressed the selection philosophy directly in a statement, “The Super Eagles must remain focused to successfully navigate what is ahead. This qualifying campaign will happen very quickly within a short period of time, so teams must hit top form early, start strongly, and maintain good momentum.
“This current squad has the potential to help Nigeria end a long wait for another AFCON title, but any addition must be based on merit and performance.”
AFCON 2027 in view
Nigeria have been drawn alongside co-hosts Tanzania, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau in Group L for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
The AFCON PAMOJA 2027 will be hosted jointly by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, meaning that it will be the first edition to be staged in East Africa since 1976 and will mark the first AFCON hosted by three nations.
CAF confirmed that the qualifiers will be played across September, October and November 2026, with teams facing each other home and away over six matchdays. That makes this June window the final major preparation stretch before qualification begins in earnest.
The Super Eagles have now failed to qualify for back-to-back World Cups. The pressure on this coaching staff to deliver on the continental stage is acute, and these June games against Poland and Portugal are as much about restoring national confidence as they are about tactical preparation.
