The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced a 31-man provisional squad for the Super Eagles’ 2026 World Cup qualification matches against Rwanda and South Africa on September 6 and 9, respectively.

In what are must-win matches for Nigeria — having picked up just six points from six games and sitting precariously in fourth place in Group C of Africa’s qualifiers — head coach Eric Chelle named an exhaustive list that includes trusted names led by captain William Troost-Ekong, alongside star forwards Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.

The list also features first-choice goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, defenders Ola Aina and Calvin Bassey, and midfielders Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi. The notable selection on the provisional roster is15-year-old goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt, who made history as the youngest player to represent Nigeria following his appearance in the Super Eagles B’s last match at the CHAN 2024 earlier in the week. The Sporting Lagos shot-stopper is also the only player from the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) to make the list.

The provisional squad will be trimmed to 23 players before camp opens in Uyo on Monday, September 1. The Super Eagles will face Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Saturday, September 6, before flying to Bloemfontein to take on group leaders South Africa on Tuesday, September 9.

Here’s the full list of Nigeria’s 31-man provisional squad: 

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali, Amas Obasogie, Adeleye Adebayo, Ebenezer Harcourt.

Defenders: William Troost-Ekong, Calvin Bassey, Ola Aina, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Bruno Onyemaechi, Igoh Ogbu, Chidozie Awaziem, Felix Agu, Benjamin Fredericks.

Midfielders: Alex Iwobi, Frank Onyeka, Alhassan Yusuf, Wilfred Ndidi, Tom Dele-Bashiru, Raphael Onyedika, Uche.

Forwards: Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze, Victor Osimhen, Moses Simon, Victor Boniface, Cyriel Dessers, Sadiq Umar, Nathan Tella, Tolu Arokodare, Terem Moffi, Akor Adams.