Nigeria is preparing to face Gabon in the 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualification play-off round. The Nigerian Football Federation announced the 21-man candidate squad before the match. However, the fact that Galatasaray’s star Victor Osimhen’s name was not included in the first list caused a great impact in the country.
While thousands of fans criticized the federation on social media, the reason for Osimhen’s exclusion became a matter of debate in the Nigerian press. After the intense reactions, the federation made a statement in a short time and shared the list again. It was seen that Victor Osimhen was also included in the updated squad.
In addition to Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi, who plays for Beşiktaş and is the team captain, was also included in the Nigeria squad. The squad determined by coach Eric Chelle will start preparations for the Gabon match in Abuja in the coming days.