The Iheanacho Super Eagles snub has drawn criticism from two former Nigeria internationals, as Sylvanus Okpala and Abiodun Obafemi question Eric Chelle’s call to leave the striker out of the squad for Friday’s 2027 AFCON qualifier against Tanzania.
Kelechi Iheanacho has been Nigeria’s most prolific striker this season. The 30-year-old has 17 goals and three assists in 14 league appearances for Bursaspor in Turkey’s second tier — 20 goal contributions — his latest in the 1-1 draw with Antalyaspor on 6 November. With Victor Osimhen sidelined after knee surgery, many supporters expected Iheanacho to earn a recall. Instead, Chelle named six forwards — Ademola Lookman, Moses Simon, Akor Adams, Tolu Arokodare, Taiwo Awoniyi and Moses Usor — and left Iheanacho out of the 24-man squad.
Okpala: Iheanacho Super Eagles snub defies his form
Okpala, who won the Africa Cup of Nations as a player in 1980 and was assistant coach when Nigeria lifted it again in 2013, believes the final decision rests with the coach — but admitted Iheanacho’s performances should have earned him a place. “His performance in Europe should have earned him a spot in the final list, but it is left to him to continue banging in his goals and maybe he’ll get a call-up next time,” Okpala told PUNCH Sports Extra. He conceded Chelle would have his reasons, while admitting he too was left wondering why.
Obafemi: “Scoring form should always be the yardstick”
Obafemi was more forthright. The Atlanta 1996 Olympic gold medallist insisted scoring form should count for more than the division a player competes in, arguing Iheanacho’s experience and familiarity with the national team should have worked in his favour, especially with Osimhen unavailable. “His scoring form should always be the yardstick and we are all seeing what he is doing so far this season, so I think he should be there, even as Osimhen is absent with injury,” Obafemi said. The point cuts to the heart of the debate: Iheanacho is scoring freely while several forwards picked ahead of him are not.
Fans join the debate as Tanzania countdown continues
Nigerian supporters have also taken to social media to question the call. One fan, Cena’man, wrote on X that Iheanacho “deserves a call-up. He is currently on form and knows African football well,” while Hakeem Musa argued the striker’s experience and football intelligence should count in his favour. No official explanation has been given for the exclusion, and the debate now centres on whether Chelle is weighing tactical fit or competition level above current club form.
Nigeria host Tanzania at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday, with the return leg in Zanzibar on Tuesday 17 November. The Super Eagles are second in Group L with three points from two matches — a 2-1 win over Madagascar, then a 3-0 defeat in Guinea-Bissau — while Tanzania have already qualified as co-hosts. Chelle’s squad held its first training session on Tuesday evening after flight delays kept players away on Monday, and Tanzania landed in Uyo on Tuesday morning. For Iheanacho, the task now is to keep scoring at Bursaspor and give Chelle another reason to reconsider. For more on the qualifiers, check today’s predictions.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0, Dmitry Pukalik) — collage by SportsBuddy.
