Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has declared his team ready for Friday's 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying opener against Madagascar, confirming that striker Victor Osimhen and two other players will miss the match through injury while warning that the fixture will be "a fight" against opponents who stunned Nigeria at the 2019 AFCON.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference in Uyo on Thursday, Chelle said Osimhen, Alhassan Yusuf and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru would be unavailable for the Group L fixture at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium. "We have a lot of injured players. Victor Osimhen, Alhassan Yusuf and Dele-Bashiru, but it's not a problem for us," Chelle said. "We are ready; it will be difficult because Madagascar is a big team. It will be a fight; they defeated Nigeria in 2019." Osimhen, Nigeria's first-choice striker, was ruled out of the opening two qualifiers with a right adductor strain, denying Chelle his most potent attacking weapon for the match against Madagascar and the trip to Guinea-Bissau on September 29.
Chelle used the occasion to stress the importance of starting the campaign strongly, recalling Nigeria's disastrous beginning to the 2026 World Cup qualifying series, which ultimately ended in failure to reach the tournament. "We know the experiences of the last World Cup. We started really, really poor, really bad. It will never happen again because this is a focused team," he said. "We are planning to set the momentum because the first game is the most important game of every competition. This is qualifiers. The first game sets the momentum. So it gives us the confidence to go for the other games coming." The coach said his players were in the right frame of mind and understood the stakes. "My players are very good. They have a good state of mind. They understand everything. So, like I said every time, this is not a question of winning or losing. This is a question of state of mind."
The Franco-Malian tactician, who guided Nigeria to a third-place finish at the 2025 AFCON in Morocco and a Unity Cup triumph in June, said the team was motivated to send a signal to the rest of the continent. "For me, of course, this is the best team in Africa, and maybe this team has a good ranking in the world. So we are motivated," he said. He warned against complacency, pointing to Madagascar's 2-0 victory over Nigeria at the 2019 AFCON in Egypt, a result that remains one of the biggest upsets in the tournament's history. "For sure it will be a difficult game because Madagascar, this is not a tough team. This is a big team. I think they won against Nigeria in 2019. So we have to be ready. It will be a fight," Chelle said.
Chelle also addressed the late arrival of Udinese goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, explaining that the player had been granted permission to attend an event organised by his club. "The club of Udinese asked me to let him make an event for the club. He was supposed to come before, but he's not here. So I will manage the situation because I have to take some decisions," he said.
Chelle named his starting XI for the fixture, handing a debut to Al Ittihad striker George Ilenikhena, who leads the attack alongside Venezia's Akor Adams in Osimhen's absence. Stanley Nwabali starts in goal, with a backline of Ola Aina, Calvin Bassey, Semi Ajayi and Bruno Onyemaechi. Captain Wilfred Ndidi anchors the midfield alongside Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze, while Ademola Lookman operates behind the two strikers with freedom to roam. The bench includes Tolu Arokodare, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Benjamin Fredricks, Raphael Onyedika, Frank Onyeka, Chibuike Nwaiwu, Maduka Okoye, Alvaro Fernandez, Moses Simon, Isaac Success and Moses Arokodare.
Madagascar head coach Corentin Martins, who previously guided Mauritania to the 2019 and 2021 AFCON tournaments, said his team's mental state was in good condition to beat Nigeria. "We know Nigeria have a good team, with players who play in the big leagues around the world. But we are not afraid," Martins said through an interpreter. "We played against Nigeria in 2019, but this is a different Madagascar team altogether. Our mission is to win and qualify." Midfielder Rayan Raveloson, who plays for Turkish club Amedspor, echoed his coach's confidence. "It's football. They are humans like us, so we are not scared," Raveloson said. "Nigeria are a big team, but the outcome will be decided on the pitch, not by reputation."
The context of the fixture extends beyond the immediate contest. Nigeria share Group L with Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau and co-hosts Tanzania, who are guaranteed a finals slot as hosts of the 2027 tournament to be staged in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Only the best-placed team among Nigeria, Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau will qualify automatically, meaning the opening fixture carries significant weight in shaping the campaign. A misfiring start would complicate Nigeria's path after two consecutive World Cup qualifying failures and would intensify scrutiny of Chelle's rebuilding project.
Nigeria captain Wilfred Ndidi, who is in line to earn his 100th cap, said the team was determined to avoid a repeat of the slow start that undermined the last World Cup campaign. "We are going to approach this game with all seriousness because the first game in every competition is very important," Ndidi said. "We're focused to set the momentum in these qualifiers to build our confidence ahead of subsequent games. The most important thing is that as a team, we are ready to make Nigerians proud against Madagascar."
For Chelle, the match represents the first competitive test of his tenure since taking charge, and the absence of Osimhen adds an element of uncertainty to a fixture Nigeria are expected to win. The coach has insisted that the depth of his squad is sufficient to cope, and the inclusion of Ilenikhena alongside Adams suggests a willingness to trust new faces in a high-stakes encounter. Whether that gamble pays off will be known by Friday evening, when Nigeria begin their quest to return to the continental stage they have won three times. As Chelle put it, the opponent needs to know they are coming to hell.
📩 Stone Reporters News | 🌍 stonereportersnews.com
✉️ info@stonereportersnews.com | 📘 Facebook: Stone Reporters News | 🐦 X (Twitter): @StoneReportNew | 📸 Instagram: @stonereportersnews
Add comment
Comments