4 Super Eagles Stars Who Could Miss AFCON 2025 After Stanley Nwabali’s Injury
- Super Eagles first-choice goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali is a doubt for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations due to injury
- Chippa United head coach Vusimuzi Vilakazi confirmed he has an ankle issue and a hand injury, which requires surgery
- The goalkeeper joins a growing list of players who could miss the tournament for Nigeria due to fitness problems
Eric Chelle’s preparation for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is not taking shape as expected, with some top stars doubtful for the tournament due to injuries.
Chelle announced his 54-man preliminary squad last week and must announce his revised 28-man squad for the tournament before the December 11 deadline set by CAF.
Source: Getty Images
The coach has reportedly waited this long as he continues to wait on the fitness of some of his key players, many of whom are included in the preliminary squad.
However, his delay in naming his squad may not be enough to get some players in, as they face the potential of missing out, as they will not recover in time for the tournament.
Legit.ng looks at four Super Eagles stars ruled out or doubtful for AFCON 2025.
Super Eagles stars out of AFCON 2025
1. Benjamin Fredrick
Benjamin Fredrick will not feature at the tournament in which is a big miss for Eric Chelle and Nigeria at large after the youngster suffered a knee injury.
Fredrick has been a revelation since making his debut in June during the 2025 Unity Cup. He has brought calmness to the defence alongside Calvin Bassey, and his versatility has helped Chelle manage injuries in the team.
2. Ola Aina
Ola Aina suffered a hamstring injury during Nigeria’s 1-1 draw against South Africa in September, which required surgery, and the initial timeline for his recovery was put at three months.
He recently returned to the grass on individual training, but Nottingham Forest staff claimed that he is far from full fitness and is unlikely to be a part of Nigeria’s squad to Morocco.
3. Felix Agu
Agu is one of the emerging stars in the national team, having recently switched his international allegiance after representing Germany at youth levels.
The Werder Bremen star is currently out with a syndesmosis ligament injury, which was expected to keep him out until the new year, and his inclusion on the preliminary list was premature.
Source: Getty Images
4. Stanley Nwabali
The first-choice goalkeeper is the latest player who could miss the tournament after reports surfaced that he is dealing with two injuries: an ankle issue and a hand injury, which required surgery.
Chippa United coach Vusimuzi Vilakazi admitted to SuperSport that he doubts if Stanley Nwabali will be fit for the tournament, even though the 29-year-old remains optimistic that he will be in Morocco for his second AFCON.
Chelle finds surprising centre-back option
Legit.ng reported that Eric Chelle found Paul Onuachu as a surprise centre-back option after the striker played in defence for Trabzonspor.
The manager is unlikely to deploy the Turkish Super League top scorer in defence, but his performance in the role suggests he could be a potential option.
Source: Legit.ng
