The pressure has continued to soar as Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle is expected this week to name his final 28-man squad for the 2025 AFCON, which kicks off later this month in Morocco.
A 54-man provisional squad for the AFCON has attracted mixed reactions with some critics demanding for more players to get their full international chance as early as this competition in North Africa.
Thursday will be the deadline for all qualifiers for the 2025 AFCON to submit their finals squads.
The shock decision by FIFA to reduce preparation for the AFCON to barely a week has most certainly got many teams rethinking on a complete overhaul as such process requires a lot more time.
However, despite running against time Eric Chelle plans to freshen his squad with “four, five new players”, a top source told SCORENigeria
High on the new additions would be Blackburn Rovers right back Ryan Alebiosu, an Arsenal academy graduate who is flying this season in the English Championship.
Injury has ruled out Nottingham Forest star Ola Aina from the AFCON, while Bright Osayi-Samuel has struggled for game time at his English Championship club Birmingham City.
Another new boy for Morocco 2025 will likely be midfielder Ebenezer Akinsanmiro.
The 21-year-old defensive midfielder has found his groove at Pisa on loan from Inter Milan so much so that the promoted club look set to make his loan deal permanent at the end of the Serie A season.
He will get a chance to battle for game time against Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka and Rapheal Onyedika.
He will be the future as the Super Eagles rebuild after their latest failure to qualify for the World Cup.
Slavia Praha central defender Igoh Ogbu also has a big chance to make the final cut following the absence of captain William Ekong and injury to Benjamin Fredrick.
He made his Super Eagles bow at the Unity Cup in May and has since recovered from injury for coach Eric Chelle to reconsider him.
Trabzonspor striker Paul Onuachu would be one player to be recalled by the Super Eagles on the back of his goals in the Turkish Super Lig this season.
He is the leading scorer in Turkey with 11 goals and with Victor Osimhen increasingly looking as the team’s only potent attacking weapon, it is only reasonable that ‘Big Paul’ gets another chance to translate club form for country.
Onuachu last featured for the Super Eagles in June 2024 after he was named as a last-ditch replacement at the 2023 AFCON.
Can he now fly high with the Super Eagles?
