The Super Eagles camp Uyo opens today, with Eric Chelle’s 24-man squad due to report in Akwa Ibom as Nigeria’s build-up to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against Tanzania begins in earnest.
Players invited for the two fixtures are expected to arrive at the team camp in Uyo on Monday, and the squad will hold its first training session on Tuesday at the practice pitch of the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium. Nigeria host Tanzania at the same venue on Friday, 13 November, before travelling for the return leg on Tuesday, 17 November.
Chelle named his 24-man squad for the Tanzania double-header on Saturday, and the list has already set the tone for the week. Captain Wilfred Ndidi leads the group, with Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman, Calvin Bassey and Moses Simon among the senior names called up, while Francis Uzoho returns in goal and Marseille midfielder Tochukwu Nnadi earns a first senior invitation.
Super Eagles camp Uyo: who is in and who is out
The biggest absentee from the Super Eagles camp Uyo is Victor Osimhen, who is recovering from the knee surgery he underwent successfully in Istanbul on Saturday. The Galatasaray striker was always going to miss this window after scans revealed a free fragment in his left knee, and his club is monitoring his recovery day by day with no set return date.
Kelechi Iheanacho is the other headline omission, despite scoring 17 league goals for Bursaspor this season. The striker has been in the form of his life in Turkey, yet Chelle has looked elsewhere for his attack, turning instead to Tolu Arokodare, Taiwo Awoniyi, Akor Adams and Moses Usor to lead the line against Tanzania.
Maduka Okoye is also out of the squad, with Uzoho recalled alongside Stanley Nwabali and Charlton Athletic’s Arthur Okonkwo. Frank Onyeka and Raphael Onyedika miss out in midfield, while Fisayo Dele-Bashiru keeps his place after his run of form with Serie A leaders Lazio and Samson Tijani and Slavia Prague’s Mubarak Suleiman are also included.
Why the Tanzania double-header matters so much
Nigeria cannot afford a slow start in Uyo. The Super Eagles sit second in Group L, three points behind Guinea-Bissau, with only the group winners guaranteed a place at the 2027 finals in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Chelle’s side beat Madagascar 2-1 in their opener before losing 3-0 away to Guinea-Bissau, so the two games against Tanzania carry real weight.
Tanzania, by contrast, arrive with nothing to lose. The Taifa Stars are already assured of a place at the finals as co-hosts, and they landed in Uyo as early as Sunday to give head coach Miguel Gamondi a full week to prepare. They have named a 24-man squad of their own, built largely around Yanga and Azam, with Göztepe midfielder Novatus Miroshi among the overseas-based players.
That early arrival underlines the scale of the task facing Nigeria. Tanzania lost 2-0 to Guinea-Bissau and drew 1-1 with Madagascar in their opening two qualifiers, but they will be organised, rested and settled in Uyo long before Friday’s first whistle.
Super Eagles camp Uyo: what happens next
The first training session on Tuesday will give Chelle his first proper look at the group, and the head coach is expected to run the bulk of his tactical work across Tuesday and Wednesday before the squad is trimmed to a matchday shape. With no Osimhen and no Iheanacho, the striking question dominates the week: Arokodare arrives in form after his Ajax loan move, Awoniyi is back in the fold, and Adams and Usor both scored for their clubs in the days before the squad was named.
For the players reporting today, the message is simple. Two wins against Tanzania would put Nigeria firmly back in control of Group L. Anything less, and the road to the 2027 finals becomes a great deal harder. For more on the qualifiers, check today’s predictions.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) — Hadassah Photostorie group; collage by SportsBuddy.
