Super Eagles name a young squad for the qualifying double-header
Four uncapped players make the list as the coach signals a generational reset ahead of a decisive window.
By Ibrahim Musa · 4 days ago
The national team's squad list arrived with fewer familiar names than expected and four players who have never worn the senior shirt.
The coach framed the selection as necessity rather than experiment. Injuries have thinned the midfield, and two senior defenders are serving suspensions carried over from the last window.
Supporters have been here before. Nigeria's deepest runs have often followed exactly this kind of forced refresh, when a squad is rebuilt around players with nothing to protect.
The first fixture is away, on an artificial surface that has troubled visiting teams for a decade. The return leg comes four days later in Uyo, where the Eagles have lost only twice.
Qualification is not yet in danger, but the margin has narrowed enough that a draw in the away leg would make the home game a must-win.