World Cup Qualifier: Nigeria forced to make squad changes due to injuries

Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign has been hit by yet another injury crisis, forcing head coach Eric Chelle to reshuffle his pack ahead of this month’s decisive fixtures against Lesotho and Benin.

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Already without key names like Ola Aina, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Raphael Onyedika, all sidelined at club level with varying injury problems, the Super Eagles have now confirmed that Cyriel Dessers and Bright Osayi-Samuel will also miss the two qualifiers.

Osayi-Samuel, who recently joined Birmingham City, had been nursing a knock and sat out their last game at Wrexham, while Dessers’ absence compounds Nigeria’s shortage of attacking depth.

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

Fresh faces for a crucial doubleheader

In response, Coach Chelle has called up Crystal Palace midfielder Christantus Uche and Porto left-back Zaidu Sanusi to join camp ahead of the Lesotho and Benin games.

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Sanusi is a familiar name to Nigerian fans. The battle-tested defender was integral to the Super Eagles’ run to the Africa Cup of Nations final but has been out of the team for more than a year due to injury. His return offers much-needed stability and experience on the flanks.

Uche, on the other hand, represents the new wave of talent. The dynamic midfielder made his Super Eagles debut in June and will be eager to impress Chelle and cement his place in the national setup.

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Injury concerns continue to bite

Werder Bremen full-back Felix Agu, included in the original squad list released last week, also faces a race against time after picking up an injury in a Bundesliga clash against St. Pauli. His participation in the international break is uncertain.

Initial squad list
Credit: Super Eagles on (X)

The spate of injuries underscores the challenges Chelle faces as Nigeria chase maximum points to stay in contention for a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With a mix of seasoned internationals and hungry debutants, the Super Eagles will need to summon depth, resilience, and self-belief to navigate this critical window.