Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle Submits Final 28-Man Ahead of 2025 AFCON
- Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has submitted his 28-man final list ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
- The 48-year-old is leading the three-time AFCON winners to the continental showpiece after failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup
- The former Mali coach awaits the medical reports of three important players before making the list public
- Nigeria sports journalist Favour Itua said Eric Chelle doesn't have any excuse not to win the AFCON with the calibre of players available
Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has successfully submitted Nigeria’s 28-man squad list for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
Chelle met the December 11 deadline set by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Nigeria sealed qualification for the 35th edition of the continental tournament after finishing group D with three wins, two draws, and one loss against Benin Republic, Rwanda, and Libya.
Source: Getty Images
The Super Eagles topped the group with 11 points, followed closely by the Cheetahs of Benin Republic with eight points, as both teams secured qualification, per BBC.
Nigeria will begin their quest for a fourth AFCON title against the Taifa Stars of Tanzania on December 23 in Rabat, Morocco, according to the NFF.
Despite missing the FIFA World Cup for the second consecutive time, the Super Eagles remain one of the favourites heading into the tournament.
The West African giants fell short in the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoffs, losing 4-3 on penalties to the Leopards of DR Congo.
Why Chelle submitted on eve of deadline
Reasons have emerged explaining why Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle submitted his 28-man AFCON squad on the eve of the deadline set by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Source: Getty Images
Chelle had selected his final 28-man squad just days after releasing the 54-man provisional list, but delayed the official submission due to pending medical reports on three Super Eagles players.
According to OwnGoal, the former Mali coach was awaiting the medical updates of Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest), Felix Agu (Werder Bremen) and Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United) before making the list public.
The 48-year-old wanted confirmation on whether the trio would be available to feature after the group stage should Nigeria progress to the Round of 16.
Meanwhile, Porto defender Zaidu Sanusi has assured Chelle of his full fitness after missing his club’s last match due to a knock sustained in their previous outing.
Nigeria is condemned to win - Itua
Nigerian sports journalist Favour Itua believes the Super Eagles have all the players needed to win the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng, Itua noted that Eric Chelle’s performance during the World Cup qualifiers, combined with the closeness of the AFCON tournament, contributed to the NFF’s decision not to sack him. He said:
"Nigerians are not patient people, Eric Chelle has to win the 2025 AFCON if he wants to remain coach of the Super Eagles. The people who are hailing him now are the same people who will call for his head.
"If the AFCON were next year, Eric Chelle would have been sacked because he failed to meet the terms and conditions of his contract."
Tijani Babangida warns Eric Chelle
Legit.ng earlier reported that Tijani Babangida warned Eric Chelle to avoid the same mistake which cost Nigeria the World Cup ticket at AFCON 2025.
The 1994 AFCON winner admitted that the overdependence on Victor Osimhen was detrimental to the team as Nigeria became disorganised after his injury.
Source: Legit.ng
