The Super Eagles of Nigeria have set for a decisive clash for the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe amid the appointment of a new manager, Eric Chelle.
Recall that Nigeria appointed their new Coach to salvage their 2026 WCQ campaign from shrinking after they only secured three points from their first four World Cup Qualifier encounters, sitting uncomfortably at the bottom of Group C.
Reacting to his appointment, Chelle released a 35-man provisional list as his squad for the next meetings scheduled for March before he later reduced it to 23 players.
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The in-form Rangers striker Cyriel Desser and the Kano Pillars forward Ahmed Musa were among other players that couldn’t not make it to the final 23-man squad.
Hence, we look at some players to watch out for amidst the Super Eagles crucial March games, with back-to-back victories essential to rejuvenate their qualification bid.
Nottingham Forest’s Ola Aina
Olaoluwa Aina’s Nottingham Forest have been staging a revolutionary struggle during the 2024/25 English Premier League campaign. Sitting boldly in the third position of the EPL table, the Garibaldis have been more resilient in their battle for the top four flights, bidding to secure their qualification for the next UEFA Champions League — revisiting the lost glory after decades.
From 28 games played this season, the Forest have recorded 15 victories, six draws and seven losses. The team has managed to secure 51 points, leading Chelsea with two points and Manchester City (4).
The Nigerian international Ola Aina has been instrumental to Nuno Espírito Santo’s team as he cemented the defense while contributing two goals and a single assist during their EPL campaign. Worthy of note was his lone winner that delivered a victory to his side during their encounter against Manchester City, last weekend.
Osimhen First Season in the Turkish League
The Nigerian hitman Victor Osimhen suffered a backlash from Napoli after he led Napoleon to lift their first title after 33 years of deadlock in the 2022/23 season. The beginning of the ongoing season saw the Nigerian superstar moving to Galatasaray in the Turkish Super League.
Victor Osimhen’s arrival has proved advantageous to the Turkish giant, as his presence strengthened their attack, been at the forefront as the The Yellow-reds battle the title race, topping the league with 68 points and a seven good points ahead of Fenerbahce that comes behind them who have 61 points.
The two time African Best Player is currently the second top scorer in the Turkish League, registering 17 goals from 21 appearances. He comes behind Istanbul Basaksehir’s Piatek who has scored 18 goals from 24 appearances.
Moses Simon’s Thrilling Performance
The Nigerian forward Moses Simon has been shouldering the responsibility of saving the French side Nantes from relegation. His six goals and seven assists have saved his club from the relegation zone as the team currently sits in the 14th position when they only secured 24 points from 25 matches.
Despite his team’s struggles, his contributions to the French side have earned him to be included among the Transfermarkt’s “most precious player” across Europe’s top five leagues. Moses Simon was ranked eighth in the list compiled based on the players who contributed the highest percentage of their team’s league goals.
The Super Eagle forward’s electrifying statistics have rival those of the players playing with the top league’s teams. Revealed from the rankings, Moses has single-handedly contributed 46.6 percentage of his club’s goals.
Other players expected to deliver a masterclass performance to the Eric Chelle’s squad are the current African Best Player Ademola Lookman, Sadiq Umar who has recorded four goals from four attempts on targets — the best to be recorded by any player in the Spanish La Liga, Victor Boniface, Nathan Tella among others.
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