Super Eagles coach, Eric Chelle, earlier announced his squad for Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Benin Republic, Soccernet.ng reports.
However, the selection has raised more questions in the Nigerian football community rather than optimism among fans, with their last two games labelled a “must-win” encounter.
The most glaring concern lies in the imbalance of the squad with no natural right-back, only one creative midfielder, and an overload of nine forwards.
No Right-Backs in Super Eagles Squad
The situation became even more complicated after Bright Osayi-Samuel and Cyriel Dessers were withdrawn due to injuries.
Eric Chelle makes two changes to his 23-man squad as Zaidu Sanusi and Christantus Uche replace the injured Cyriel Dessers and Bright Osayi-Samuel. #SoarSuperEagles #FIFAWCQ pic.twitter.com/PeC6VloKOh
— Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) October 4, 2025
While Felix Agu, another potential option at right-back, suffered a serious ankle injury during Werder Bremen’s clash against St Pauli is 70% likely to miss the crucial qualifying matches.
With Agu likely to be sidelined, Benjamin Fredrick, primarily a centre-back, is the only player capable of operating as a makeshift right-back. Without a doubt, this is a worrying reality ahead of two crucial qualifiers.
Chelle Could Burden Iwobi With Midfield Duties
Chelle’s midfield selection further fuels this debate. While he named Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka, and Alhassan Yusuf, all of whom are primarily defensive-minded, there’s only Alex Iwobi—the lone creative presence—to shoulder the responsibility of playmaking.
Iwobi has started the season brightly with Fulham, registering two assists and one goal already, but placing the creative burden solely on his shoulders could prove risky, especially in games where Nigeria needs to open up tight defences.
Then comes the attack, where Chelle seems to have gone overboard. Even after replacing Dessers with Crystal Palace’s Christantus Uche, the Super Eagles boss still ended up with nine forwards—including Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Terem Moffi, Simon Moses, Samuel Chukwueze, Arokodare Tolu, and Akor Adams.
Copyright: IMAGOxAdekunlexAjayix
Lack Of Balance Sparks Concerns For Nigerians
While depth in attack is always welcome, the lack of balance in other areas of the pitch raises concerns about what tactics the Malian is waiting to unfold in the next days.
Chelle undoubtedly has an abundance of individual talent at his disposal. However, the structural gaps—particularly at right-back and in creative midfield—could turn into major vulnerabilities against opponents like Benin and Lesotho, who are likely to exploit these weaknesses.
If nothing is done to this selection before these games, it may either be seen as a risky experiment or as the ticking time bomb that derailed Nigeria’s World Cup hopes.