- Chelle names Nigeria’s provisional AFCON squad, including major returnees.
- Boniface, Uzoho, and Iheanacho make surprise comebacks to the AFCON squad.
- Rising defender Benjamin Fredrick out of the AFCON 2025 squad due to injury.
- Super Eagles to face Tanzania, Uganda, and Tunisia in Group C.
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has unveiled Nigeria’s provisional squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), with Victor Boniface, Kelechi Iheanacho, Ola Aina, and Francis Uzoho returning after different spells away from the national team setup.
The 54-man list was released on the team’s official platforms late Tuesday, coming just weeks before the tournament kicks off in Morocco.
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Ola Aina, who picked up an injury during Nigeria’s World Cup qualifier against South Africa in September, is still recovering and expected to miss about three months. Despite that, the defender was included among the provisional names.
Chelle also recalled Boniface, Uzoho, and Iheanacho, who have not featured in recent matches. The coach retained his regular pillars: captain William Troost-Ekong, Victor Osimhen, Stanley Nwabali, Wilfred Ndidi, Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze, and Moses Simon.
However, promising young defender Benjamin Fredrick will miss AFCON 2025 due to a knee injury. Chelle described his absence as painful for the squad, adding, “He has been one of our brightest young talents, and losing him at this stage is tough.”
A breakdown of the provisional squad shows six goalkeepers, thirteen defenders, twelve midfielders, and twenty-three forwards, a sign of Chelle’s intention to prioritize attacking options ahead of the competition.
One of the standout inclusions is Inter Milan’s Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, currently on loan at Pisa. The midfielder is expected to make the final cut due to his impressive form.
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The list also features sebveral players from the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), including Adekunle Adeleke, Ebenezer Harcourt, Abdulrasheed Shehu, Ekeson Okorie, and Chisom Orji, an encouraging sign for the domestic league.
Nigeria will announce its final 28-man AFCON squad on or before December 11. The team will begin a closed camp in Egypt on December 10 to prepare for the tournament.
AFCON 2025 runs from December 21, 2025, to January 18, 2026. The Super Eagles are drawn in Group C, where they will play Tanzania, Uganda, and Tunisia.
