Nigeria vs Iran: Eric Chelle Names Super Eagles XI for First Match Since AFCON 2025
- Eric Chelle has announced Super Eagles’ starting lineup for the international friendly match against Iran
- Nigeria faces Team Melli of Iran before a second match against Jordan in the four-nation mini-tournament
- It is the first time the Super Eagles have taken to the pitch since featuring at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
Eric Chelle has announced Super Eagles' starting lineup for the international friendly match against the Iranian national team in Antalya, Turkey.
It is their first match since finishing third at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and is the first of two matches in the four-nation invitational tournament.
Source: Getty Images
Nigeria will face Iran in the first match before taking on Jordan in the second match, both of which will be played at the Corendon Airlines Stadium in Turkey.
Eric Chelle’s XI to face Iran
Eric Chelle fielded a strong XI for the match, which included top stars like Akor Adams, Alex Iwobi, Moses Simon, and Ademola Lookman, among others.
Maduka Okoye, who skipped AFCON 2025, returned in goal for the first time since the June 2025 international break, ahead of Francis Uzoho.
Akor Adams leads the line and is supported by Lookman, Simon and Samuel Chukwueze, while captain Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi play in midfield.
Semi Ajayi and Igoh Ogbu are preferred in the heart of the defence, and are supported in fullback by Bright Osayi-Samuel and Bruno Onyemaechi.
See the X post below:
Full starting 11
Maduka Okoye; Bright Osayi-Samuel, Semi Ajayi, Igoh Ogbu, Bruno Onyemaechi; Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi; Samuel Chukwueze, Ademola Lookman, Moses Simon; Akor Adams.
Substitutes: Adeleye Adebayo, Francis Uzoho, Zaidu Sanusi, Frank Onyeka, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Phillip Otelle, Chidera Ejuke, Emmanuel Fernandez, Umole, Paul Onuachu, Raphael Onyedika, Chibuike Nwaiwu, Yira Sor.
Iran XI
Alireza Beyranvand, Ali Nemati, Shoja Khalilzadeh, Hossein Kanani, Aria Yousefi, Milad Mohammadi, Saman Ghoddos, Mohammad Ghorbani, Mohammad Mohebbi, Ali Gholizadeh, Mehdi Taremi.
Key actions from the match
The Super Eagles of Nigeria lined up in their new 2026 home kit which was launched before the game and will be used across all national teams.
According to Reuters, Iranian players held school bags in honour of the over 100 school girls who died after a missile struck a school in the ongoing war with US and Israel.
Moses Simon opened the scoring for Nigeria in the sixth minute after weaving through the Iranian defence and slotted the ball home cleanly, giving Nigeria the advantage at halftime.
Source: Getty Images
Akor Adams doubled the lead in the sixth minute of the second half from Ademola Lookman’s assist. As noted by London Evening Standard, Mehdi Taremi pulled one back for Iran in the 67th minute.
Eric Chelle gave debuts to newly-invited players Chibuike Nwaiwu and Emmanuel Fernandez, while Yira Sori and Phillip Otelle were unused substitutes.
Where to watch Nigeria vs Iran
Legit.ng previously reported the list of TV stations and streaming platforms to watch the Nigeria vs Iran match, even though the coverage is limited on both platforms.
The match is not official, even though it counts for FIFA ranking points, hence it is not readily available for audiences in Nigeria.
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
