“We need to start AFCON 2027 qualification in good note: Chelle

By Amaechi Agbo

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has confirmed that he has finalized his squad for Nigeria’s opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, with as many as three new players potentially earning call-ups.
Nigeria have been drawn in Group L alongside Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau, and Tanzania for the qualifying campaign.
The 2027 AFCON will be jointly hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania from June 19 to July 17, 2027.
The qualifying series is scheduled to begin on September 21, with Nigeria set to open their campaign against Madagascar in Uyo on September 23.
Chelle said he already knows the players he intends to use for the September fixtures but left the door open for new faces to join the squad.
“Yes, I have my players to play in the games in September and hopefully some new players could be in the team. Maybe three,” Chelle said
The Super Eagles coach also stressed the importance of making a strong start to the qualifiers, particularly because only one team from the group will secure automatic qualification, with Tanzania already guaranteed a place as one of the tournament’s co-hosts.
“We need to start well and not let any point drop because only one team will qualify from our group due to one of the hosts Tanzania with us. The idea is to start really well,” he added.