Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has taken a significant step toward Nigeria's Africa Cup of Nations campaign by submitting a comprehensive 55-man provisional squad to the Nigeria Football Federation.
NFF Technical Committee Meeting
The Franco-Malian tactician presented his extensive list during a meeting with the NFF Technical Committee on Monday, November 24. This comes shortly after Nigeria's disappointing failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, following their playoff final defeat to DR Congo on November 16.
Despite the World Cup qualification miss, the NFF has decided to retain Chelle as head coach, citing his impressive records during the qualifiers and the approaching AFCON tournament timeframe. The federation had initially considered replacing him with former international Augustine Eguavoen.
New Faces and Returning Stars
According to reports from OwnGoal, Chelle's provisional squad includes several relatively unknown players who could potentially replace ageing members of the team. The coach has been closely monitoring these new talents since taking charge of the Super Eagles.
Notable returning players include Cyriel Dessers, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, and Ola Aina, who all missed significant portions of the qualifiers and playoffs. Aina, who played a pivotal role in Nigeria's 2023 AFCON silver medal campaign and earned a spot in the Team of the Tournament, is expected to be particularly crucial.
AFCON 2025 Preparation Timeline
Chelle has recommended that the NFF open training camp on December 8, allowing sufficient time to trim the initial 55-man list down to the final 30 players. The continental tournament kicks off on December 21 and runs through January 18 in Morocco.
Nigeria will compete in Group C alongside Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda during the preliminary rounds. The Super Eagles, three-time AFCON champions, finished as runners-up in the last edition, losing 2-1 to host nation Ivory Coast in the final.
Interestingly, Chelle himself suffered a similar 2-1 defeat to Ivory Coast during his tenure as Mali manager, adding personal motivation to Nigeria's quest for redemption. The NFF president, Ibrahim Gusau, has already begun assessing player fitness, recently visiting Nottingham Forest stars Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi.
The stage is set for what promises to be an intense preparation period as Nigeria aims to claim its fourth AFCON title under Chelle's leadership.
