Chelle leaves Okoye, in-form Iheanacho out of Super Eagles squad for Tanzania ties

Eric Chelle / Maduka Okoye

Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has left out goalkeeper Maduka Okoye and forward Kelechi Iheanacho from his 24-man squad for Nigeria’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Tanzania.

The omissions are among the major talking points in the squad announced ahead of the two fixtures, scheduled for 13 and 17 November.

Okoye’s absence comes after a difficult spell with Italian club Udinese, while Iheanacho has been in prolific scoring form for Turkish side Bursaspor.

Chelle has instead selected Stanley Nwabali, Francis Uzoho and Arthur Okonkwo as his goalkeeping options for the double-header.

Okoye was part of Nigeria’s squad for the September qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau. However, his absence from the latest selection follows a period in which his availability for national team duties attracted attention.

During the September international window, the goalkeeper arrived after the opening of camp following his involvement in Udinese’s third-kit presentation in Milan during Fashion Week. Chelle subsequently explained that he had granted the player permission to attend to the club activity.

The latest omission comes as Udinese struggle in Serie A. Okoye was in goal on Friday when his side lost 2-1 away to Akor Adams’ Venezia, conceding twice in a result that left Udinese at the bottom of the table.

The defeat was Udinese’s eighth in their last nine league matches. Okoye had also conceded five goals in the club’s 5-2 loss to Roma on 31 October.

Venezia, meanwhile, ended a run of three consecutive defeats with the victory. Adams played the full match but did not score.

Iheanacho’s omission is another notable decision, given his recent performances for Bursaspor.

The former Leicester City forward has been among the goals in Turkey, recording 17 league goals for the club. He also scored in Nigeria’s 3-3 international friendly draw against Russia in October.

His return to scoring form, however, was not enough to earn him a place in Chelle’s squad for the Tanzania matches.

The forward had featured in the separate group selected for the Russia friendly, but has now been left out of the coach’s latest competitive selection.

Captain Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman, Moses Simon and Calvin Bassey are among the established players retained for the qualifiers.

The squad also includes defender Chibuike Nwaiwu and midfielder Mubarak Suleiman, while Arthur Okonkwo retains his place among the goalkeepers.

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus); Arthur Okonkwo (Charlton Athletic, England).

Defenders: Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece); Ola Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Benjamin Fredricks (Brentford, England); Semi Ajayi (Hull City, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham, England); Chibuike Nwaiwu (Trabzonspor, Turkey); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England); Abdullahi Bewene (Banik Ostrava, Czechia).

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas, Turkey); Alex Iwobi (Fulham, England); Alhassan Yusuf (New England Revolution, USA); Tochukwu Nnadi (Olympique Marseille, France); Samson Tijani (FK Podbrezova, Slovakia); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Lazio, Italy); Mubarak Suleiman (Slavia Prague, Czechia).

Forwards: Moses Simon (Paris FC, France); Taiwo Awoniyi (Coventry City, England); Akor Adams (Venezia, Italy); Ademola Lookman (Atletico Madrid, Spain); Tolu Arokodare (Ajax, Netherlands); Moses Usor (LASK, Austria).

Nigeria will host Tanzania at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday, 13 November, before travelling to Zanzibar for the return fixture at the Amman Stadium on Tuesday, 17 November.

The Super Eagles are seeking maximum points from the two matches to strengthen their chances of qualifying for the 2027 AFCON, which will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

Tunde Eludini is a graduate of the Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, Nigeria where he studied International Relations. He is a Senior Correspondent coordinating the sports section for PREMIUM TIMES. Twitter: @tundeyeludini