Chelle selects extended squad for Russia Friendly fixture

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has named two different Chelle squads for Nigeria’s upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers and October international friendly against Russia.

Chelle selected 24 players for the AFCON qualifying fixtures against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, with the Super Eagles scheduled to face Madagascar on September 25 and Guinea-Bissau four days later.

Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi headline the squad for the two competitive matches. Stanley Nwabali, Maduka Okoye and Arthur Okonkwo were picked as the goalkeepers.

The defensive options include Ola Aina, Calvin Bassey, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Bruno Onyemaechi, Isaac James, Benjamin Fredricks, Emmanuel Fernandez, Oluwasemilogo Ajayi and Chibuike Nwaiwu.

For the Russia friendly, Chelle has gone with a significantly different group, although some players from the AFCON squad have retained their places.

Nwabali, Isaac James, Fredricks, Fernandez, Osayi-Samuel and Ndidi are among those included in both squads, while Moses Simon and Akor Adams also feature on both lists.

The Russia squad also contains several less familiar names, with Chibuzor Atata and Samuel James joining Nwabali in goal. Kenneth Igboke, Victory Akpe and Abdullahi Bewane are additional defensive selections.

Chelle has also brought in Chibuzo Nwoko, Fumen Michael, Georges Wilfred, Popoola Abdulrasaq, Suleiman Mubarak, Jacob Adeoye and Raphael Onyendika in midfield, while Kelechi Iheanacho, Edokpolor Peter, Umar Abubakar and Abdullahi Umar are among the forwards.

The decision to use two separate squads gives Chelle the opportunity to manage his players across the competitive AFCON qualifiers and the subsequent friendly against Russia.

It also provides the coach with a chance to assess a wider pool of players while maintaining a core group of established internationals across both assignments.

The post Chelle Names Two Different Squads for AFCON Qualifiers, Russia Friendly appeared first on Made In Africa Sport.

The Al-Ittihad striker scored twice in his side’s 2-1 victory over Al-Nassr, with his second goal earning the Saudi Pro League’s Goal of the Week award.

The league recognition came after Ilenikhena’s spectacular finish stood out among the competition’s best goals of the week, adding another individual accolade to a rapidly developing career.

The 19-year-old’s display came against one of the league’s leading clubs, with Al-Nassr boasting several high-profile international players. Ilenikhena nevertheless emerged as one of the outstanding performers, showing confidence, movement and composure in front of goal.

Ilenikhena strengthens Nigeria case

According to 22bet, his recent form has also increased interest in his international prospects after Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle persuaded the France-raised forward to commit his international future to Nigeria.

Ilenikhena joined Al-Ittihad during the winter transfer window and arrived as part of the club’s reshaping of its attack.

His performances have since increased his standing within the squad and given him an opportunity to establish himself in one of Saudi Arabia’s most competitive teams.

The forward’s form has also coincided with a strong run in front of goal. He has scored five goals in six matches, giving him momentum as he continues to adapt to Saudi football.

Chelle now has another young attacking option to assess as Nigeria prepare for their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

The Super Eagles are scheduled to open their qualifying campaign against Madagascar in Uyo on September 23 before travelling to face Guinea-Bissau four days later.

Chelle faces another attacking choice

Nigeria already have established forwards competing for places in the national team, but Ilenikhena’s emergence adds another young striker to the conversation.

The forward offers a different profile to some of the more experienced options available to Chelle, with his pace, physical strength and movement providing potential variety in the final third.

His ability to produce decisive moments against strong opposition could be particularly useful to Nigeria, although his club form will need to be sustained before he can establish himself as a regular international player.

One standout performance and a Goal of the Week award will not automatically guarantee Ilenikhena a place in the Super Eagles’ starting line-up.

Regular goals, consistent performances and continued development at Al-Ittihad will strengthen his case.

Chelle already has several established attacking options, but the emergence of a young forward producing goals and eye-catching performances gives the Nigeria coach another player worth monitoring.

Ilenikhena’s latest award is therefore more than recognition for an impressive finish. It is another indication that the teenager is developing into a player capable of competing for a place in Nigeria’s increasingly competitive attack.

The post AFCON 2027: George Ilenikhena’s Saudi form sends fresh message to Eric Chelle appeared first on Made In Africa Sport.

Strategic Path for the Super Eagles in AFCON 2027 Qualifiers

The Super Eagles are set to launch their AFCON 2027 qualification campaign with a home fixture against Madagascar on September 23 in Uyo, followed by a demanding away trip to face Guinea-Bissau on September 27. Navigating these two high-stakes matches within a four-day window will provide a rigorous test of the squad’s physical preparation, tactical flexibility, and overall depth. Managing travel fatigue while maintaining high performance standards is essential for the team as they look to secure an early advantage in the competitive international landscape.

Drawn into Group L alongside Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau, and Tanzania, Nigeria enters the qualifying cycle as a clear favourite to progress to the tournament. However, recent challenges on the continental stage have served as a sobering reminder that historical pedigree cannot replace consistent performance on the pitch. Following the disappointment of missing out on the previous World Cup, the squad understands that every qualification match is vital, and there is absolutely no room for complacency in their approach to these opening encounters.

For manager Eric Chelle, these upcoming fixtures represent a critical opportunity to refine his tactical setup and achieve a more stable balance within the starting lineup. The coaching staff will be looking for senior leaders to exert their influence on the pitch, while younger prospects are expected to inject necessary energy and heighten competition for starting spots. A key narrative throughout this journey toward AFCON 2027 will be the team’s ability to diversify their attacking threats, ensuring they are not overly reliant on the individual brilliance of stars like Victor Osimhen.

The upcoming match against Madagascar will be viewed as a must-win opportunity for the Super Eagles, especially with the considerable advantage of playing in front of their home fans in Uyo. Securing all three points in the opener is essential to alleviate pressure, particularly as the team prepares for a challenging trip to Guinea-Bissau just four days later. Navigating such a tight schedule requires careful physical management and tactical discipline from the entire squad. By securing six points from these opening two matches, Nigeria would establish an excellent foundation to progress toward the AFCON 2027 tournament. Success in these early fixtures is vital for building momentum and ensuring the team avoids unnecessary complications in a competitive group.

Beyond the immediate goal of collecting points, this AFCON 2027 qualification campaign serves as a crucial platform for restoring belief in the Super Eagles. Nigerian supporters demand excellence and expect their national team to consistently compete at the highest level of continental football. Having missed out on the last two World Cup tournaments, the pressure remains high on both the players and the technical staff to deliver performances that reflect the nation’s proud footballing heritage. This period of transition provides the perfect opportunity for the squad to prove their resilience and re-establish themselves as a dominant force in African football.

The post Super Eagles Face Crucial September Tests in AFCON 2027 Qualifiers appeared first on Made In Africa Sport.

Amun rejected criticism of the Super Falcons’ performance at the tournament, arguing that their overall showing should be viewed positively.

“I disagree with anybody who says the Super Falcons’ performance was woeful. The WAFCON in Morocco was a huge success,” Amun said, as quoted by Brila Media.

This claim has elicited a widespread reaction and criticism from fans all over the country, as most people believe, based on facts and the eventual tournament turnout, that the campaign was a historic disaster for Nigerian women’s football.

The Super Falcons struggled to advance to the 2026 WAFCON quarter-finals due to their opening game loss to Malawi.

The 10-time African champions were knocked out in the quarterfinals and lost the chance at direct qualification to the World Cup after a 1-0 defeat to Cameroon.

By losing a subsequent playoff match 2-1 to South Africa, Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil. This marked the first time in history that the Super Falcons will miss the global tournament since its inception in 1991.

Amun clarified his perspective by arguing that simply competing and advancing past the group stages means the tournament shouldn’t be written off as an absolute failure, noting that many other teams exited much earlier.

He also defended the NFF against public backlash regarding logistical issues, such as the team’s late arrival in Morocco, blaming visa delays by the host nation rather than federation mismanagement.

“The issue of the players’ departure is not that of the NFF. If the host country, like Morocco, issues the visas and they then decide to depart late, it is not the NFF”, Amun said.

His remarks have polarized the football community, especially since they came just days after his own committee submitted a sweeping report on August 21, 2026, which exposed deep systemic rot, financial discrepancies, and camp infiltration within the national team setup.

The NFF itself viewed the tournament as a failure, immediately dismissing head coach Justine Madugu and his entire technical team.

In mid-August 2026, the NFF appointed Fanny Amun to head a 6-member fact-finding panel. The group was tasked with investigating recent declines in Nigerian football, specifically focusing on the Super Falcons’ historic failure to qualify for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

The committee’s sweeping report exposed significant inner rot, which includes: Interference by NFF board members and officials intruding into team camps, unequal payments between administrators and players, a cash-for-players selection scandal, technical deficiencies, poor grassroots development, and weak league management.

Immediately after submitting the report on August 21, 2026, Amun announced his resignation as the committee’s chairman.

He explained at a press conference at the National Stadium in Lagos that he completed the task early and resigned explicitly to protect the integrity of the findings, ensuring no external forces could alter or compromise the report before its submission to the NFF, National Sports Commission (NSC), and FIFA.

The post “Super Falcons WAFCON Campaign Was a Huge Success” — Fanny Amun appeared first on Made In Africa Sport.

In a statement issued on X on Wednesday 5 June 2024, the Africa football governing body emphasised that the information circulating about the tournament dates is inaccurate.

“Reports on AFCON 2025 are untrue,” CAF said. “The CAF Executive Committee will meet, deliberate and make a decision on the AFCON 2025 dates. CAF will thereafter issue official statement on the matter.”

Reports on AFCON 2025 are untrue.
The CAF Executive Committee will meet, deliberate and make a decision on the AFCON 2025 dates.
CAF will thereafter issue official statement on the matter.#CAF #CAFonline pic.twitter.com/Z0XXoIyvLi

— CAF Media (@CAF_Media) June 5, 2024

The denial comes in response to reports from Reuters and the BBC, which claimed that the next Africa Cup of Nations finals would be postponed by six months to early 2026.

According to these reports, the 2025 finals in Morocco, originally scheduled for June, were to be moved due to a clash with the expanded 32-team Club World Cup, set to be held in the U.S. from 15 June to 13 July 2026.

Reuters and the BBC highlighted that Africa will have four teams participating in the Club World Cup, with many of those players also expected to compete in the Cup of Nations.

The reports quoted CAF General Secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba, who allegedly told the BBC that the AFCON finals would indeed be held in early 2026.

According to Reuters, this potential delay would be a significant setback for Morocco, which hoped to use a summer tournament to boost its tourism industry and demonstrate its capability to host major events ahead of the 2030 World Cup, which it will co-host with Portugal and Spain.

“We can play after the Club World Cup, but is this good for the interests of the players who have played all the season and then they travel to America to play (and then) immediately come to play AFCON?” Mosengo-Omba was quoted as saying. He described the scheduling issues as a “nightmare.”

CAF has also faced criticism for its failure to finalise dates for this year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations finals, also in Morocco.

There is also uncertainty surrounding the second edition of the African Football League, with CAF President Patrice Motsepe previously promising an expansion to 24 teams, while CAF recently announced overlapping dates for the African Champions League and Confederation Cup group stages.

CAF said a decision regarding the tournament dates will be made following these discussions and assured that an official statement will be issued to communicate the final decision to the public.

CAF Spokesperson Luxolo September, in a separate statement on X, said the CAF Executive Committee is set to convene soon to deliberate on the matter of AFCON 2025.

AFCON 2025: There is NO CAF position or announcement on the Dates for AFCON 2025.
There are on-going discussions between Stakeholders to find common ground on dates.
CAF EXCO will meet to discuss & take a decision soon. pic.twitter.com/qRAt1yoRPk

— Luxolo September (@Lux_September) June 5, 2024

The post Confusion over AFCON 2025 dates as CAF rejects postponement reports appeared first on Made In Africa Sport.

The 2025 finals in Morocco were due to be played next June but that clashed with the expanded 32-team Club World Cup, which will be held in the U.S. from June 15-July 13.

Africa will have four teams at the Club World Cup and many of those players are likely to be picked for the Cup of Nations.

CAF was repeatedly asked about the obvious clash but failed to offer a solution until general secretary Veron Mosengo-Omba told the BBC the Nations Cup finals would be held in early 2026.

This will be a blow to Morocco, hoping to use a summer tournament to highlight their burgeoning tourist industry and prove its ability to stage a major tournament ahead of the 2030 World Cup which it is co-hosting with Portugal and Spain.

“We can play after the Club World Cup, but is this good for the interests of the players who have played all the season and then they travel to America to play (and then) immediately come to play Afcon?,” Mosengo-Omba said.

“Scheduling is a nightmare for everybody,” he told the BBC.

CAF has also been under fire for its inability to fix dates for this year’s women’s Africa Cup of Nations finals, also in Morocco.

There is also uncertainty around the second edition of the African Football League, the continent’s new super league launched last year.

Eight selected clubs played for record prize money in a knockout competition crammed into two months.

CAF President Patrice Motsepe promised the next edition would be made up of 24 teams but CAF on Tuesday announced that next season’s African Champions League and Confederation Cup group stages would be played from October to December – the dates taken up by the African Football League last year.

The post Morocco tourist industry dealt blow as CAF postpones AFCON 2025 to 2026 over player welfare concerns appeared first on Made In Africa Sport.

The Nigerian captain, as a mark of confidence, declared on International Television that he wanted to see Peseiro continue his work as the head coach of the national team.

While the future of the Portuguese tactician is the subject of post-AFCON speculation, the man of the moment explained his indisposition to decide immediately.

Faced with rumours and offers, including an attractive one from Algeria, Peseiro told El-Hayat TV his desire to take a step back before deciding on his future.

The Algerian Football Federation, having been spurned, may look elsewhere following Peseiro’s current stance regarding his engagement with Nigeria.

The position of the coach has been a huge subject of debate. José Peseiro, despite the defeat, seems to have an unofficial promise of continuation from Nigerian football and sports heads.

This promise and the wish expressed after the final could weigh in his final decision regarding the renewal of his contract which expires soon.

The post Players support José Peseiro to continue in coaching role with Super Eagles appeared first on Made In Africa Sport.

Recap

Africa Cup of Nations 2023 Final

Olympic Stadium of Ebimpe

February 11, 2024, 9:00 PM

Nigeria

Côte d’Ivoire

–

Preview

(Made In Africa Sport) – Côte d’Ivoire claimed their third Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title, and first on home soil, as they came from behind to beat Nigeria 2-1 in the final in Abidjan’s Alassane Ouattara Stadium.

Backed by the expectant home crowd, the hosts made an assured start, as Sébastien Haller, who scored the winning goal in the semi-final against DR Congo, almost got on the end of Simon Adingra‘s dangerous cross.

Veteran Max Gradel then produced the acrobatics with an overhead kick that hit the side-netting before Adingra forced a smart save from Stanley Nwabili.

Nigeria were on the back foot, but in the 38th minute, they got the breakthrough against the run of play with their first real chance in the game.

Captain William Troost-Ekong, who scored in the 1-0 win against Côte d’Ivoire in the group stage, climbed highest to power his header home following a corner routine and give the Super Eagles an unlikely half-time lead.

With the majority of the 60,000-strong crowd roaring them on, Côte d’Ivoire pushed for an equaliser early in the second half, as Gradel saw his fierce shot brilliantly blocked by Calvin Bassey after some neat work from Adingra.

Odilon Kossounou then forced a quality save from Nwabili from long range, and from the resulting corner, the Elephants struck back.

Franck Kessié headed in unmarked at the far post for his second goal of the tournament, as the stadium sprung to life after the hour-mark.

With the end of regulation time approaching, Haller almost produced the perfect moment after his battle with cancer to put the hosts in front, but his bicycle kick flew just wide after a nice set-up from Adingra.

However, the striker did not have to wait long for another chance to become his country’s hero, poking home the winner from Adingra’s perfect cross to send the Ivorian fans wild.

Nigeria fought hard but the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder was at the heart of everything good in Côte d’Ivoire’s attack, producing a special performance in his first major international tournament.

After a disastrous group stage that almost saw the Elephants eliminated, it was all worth it for a night that will live long in every Ivorian’s memories.

MAN OF THE MATCH

https://rtwitter.com/CAF_Online/status/1756800668285775954?s=20

MATCH STATISTICS

FULL-TIME STATISTICS

Nigeria 1-2 Côte d'Ivoire

Second half gold from Franck Kessié, Sébastian Haller earned a comeback win for the Elephants over Super Eagles to become the African champions.#AFCONWithMIAS#AFCON2023 #CAN2023#TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 pic.twitter.com/jn0mBOA3gp

— Made In Africa Sport (@madeinafricaweb) February 11, 2024

TEAM SHEETS

The post Nigeria 1-2 Côte d’Ivoire: Haller roast Eagles to fire host to AFCON title appeared first on Made In Africa Sport.

The match in regular time was a goalless draw, and the Leopards were horribly wasteful in front of goal, missing chance after chance to score in the South African box. Silas Mvumpa was the first culprit, as he couldn’t quite sort out his feet before Williams rushed forward to claim the ball in the eighth minute. The Bafana Bafana attack was lackluster at the other end, as none of their chances were troubling enough. 

Clinical finishing was still lacking in the Congolese attack even after the halftime break, with Simon Banza missing out on a glorious chance to put them ahead in the 49th minute. The best chance in the match came for the Leopards in the 65th minute, as keeper Williams made an error with his save and Mechak Elia looked to connect with Mvumpa for a goal, but the winger sent his effort wide of the left-hand post to spare Williams his blushes. 

Yoane Wissa and Fiston Mayele also got their chances late in the game, but nothing came out of the progressive attack that DR Congo employed. The third place match went straight to penalties, where Teboho Mokoena missed the first spot-kick for the Bafana Bafana, setting DR Congo up for a likely win. However, Chancel Mbemba and Mechak Elia saw their penalties saved by Ronwen Williams as the goalie pulled off another set of heroics to secure a bronze finish for South Africa.

The entertaining AFCON 2023 will be rounding up tonight, as West African duo Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire sweat it out at the Alassane Ouattara stadium by 9 p.m. It has been quite the run for both teams, as the Super Eagles have maintained a consistent form throughout the competition, while the Ivorian Elephants survived a poor group stage showing to upstage in-form contenders in the knockouts. 

Cote d’Ivoire will be looking to win a third AFCON trophy, while the Nigerians are hoping for a fourth. Will home advantage be sufficient for the Ivorians to become champions of Africa, or will the Super Eagles add them to the growing conquest list?

There’s only one way to find out!

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗢𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗘.

Nigeria Côte d’Ivoire

We’re finally at the #TotalEnergiesAFCON2023 final stop! pic.twitter.com/dk3AtUoXh2

— CAF (@CAF_Online) February 7, 2024

The post AFCON 2023 Day 20 Reviews: Wasteful Leopards gift Bafana Bafana first AFCON medal since 2000 appeared first on Made In Africa Sport.

Africa Cup of Nations

Nigeria

Côte d’Ivoire

VS

Olympic Stadium of Ebimpe

00 days 00 hrs 00 mins 00 secs

Read More

For the fifth time this century, the finalists of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) have emerged from the same group, although on this occasion neither of them topped Group A!

Drawn as the ‘home team’ for this final, but with the majority of the 60,000 spectators in Abidjan’s Olympic Stadium of Ebimpé against them, Nigeria has already demonstrated they know how to silence a hostile crowd when they defeated host nation Côte d’Ivoire 1-0 at this very venue last month.

That was to be the first of five consecutive games at this tournament in which they didn’t concede a single goal from open play, illustrating where their strengths lie in their pursuit of a fifth AFCON crown.

It was a semi-final penalty shootout against South Africa that propelled them into their first AFCON final since winning the tournament in 2013, and they’ll be hoping to avoid a repeat of the previous AFCON to take place in Côte d’Ivoire, when they finished as runners-up.

Even the most optimistic football fan from Côte d’Ivoire must have thought their AFCON dreams went up in smoke two weeks ago. The host nation scraped through a near-disastrous group stage campaign (W1, L2) in which they sacked manager Jean-Louis Gasset only to claim 16th and last place in the knockouts.

But they rallied to knock out reigning champions Senegal in the last 16, before a quarter-final win over Mali booked a semi-final date with DR Congo, who they beat 1-0 to secure just their second regulation time win of the entire tournament and book their spot in their first AFCON final since their 2015 title.

In doing so, the two-time AFCON champions became the first host nation since Egypt in 2006 to reach the final match of the tournament. Egypt lifted the trophy in that edition after a penalty shootout win over Côte d’Ivoire, whose playing squad featured current caretaker manager Emerse Faé.

Perhaps spurred on by the heartbreak of that final loss, and the recent defeat to Nigeria, Faé has been careful to assert that it’s not necessarily their ‘destiny’ to win a home AFCON. But as home nations have a 10-3 record in AFCON finals, they could hold a significant advantage!

Nigeria’s Road To Final

The post AFCON 2023 Final Preview: Nigeria face hungry Ivorian revenge bid in quest for fourth AFCON title appeared first on Made In Africa Sport.