Super Eagles’ Head Coach Éric Sékou Chelle has dropped in-form Getafe midfielder Christantus Uche and Rangers striker Cyriel Dessers in a shocking move as he unveiled his final 23-man squad for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Rwanda and Zimbabwe, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.
The omission of Uche and Dessers has raised eyebrows, especially considering their exceptional performances for their respective clubs this season.
Of the 23 players called up, there are just four new invitees, with Tolu Arokodare, Papa Daniel Mustapha, Igoh Ogbu, and Kayode Bankole all getting their maiden call-ups.
The final squad includes goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali and Bankole, defenders William Ekong, Calvin Bassey and Olaoluwa Aina, midfielders Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi, and forwards Ademola Lookman, Victor Osimhen and Simon Moses.
Chelle also made some big calls, with some of the regulars like Kelechi Iheanacho, Maduka Okoye, Zaidu Sanusi, Frank Onyeka, Chidera Ejuke, and Ahmed Musa getting snubbed.
While the team looks balanced to a large extent, the omission of Uche and Dessers is a shocker.
Uche is perhaps the most notable absentee from the Super Eagles list. The Nigerian midfielder has burst onto the scene this season after a summer move from Ceuta, a club in the third division in Spain, to Getafe.
The 21-year-old midfielder has quickly become an integral member of Getafe’s team, producing three goals and three assists in 31 appearances across all competitions. His impressive ball-holding ability, great passing, and impeccable work rate has attracted some top clubs in Europe, with Chelsea and other Premier League clubs reportedly showing interest in signing him permanently.
Uche’s meteoric rise has been remarkable, going from playing in Spain’s fifth tier to being named Getafe’s Player of the Month for August—a testament to his rapid adaptation to top-flight football.
The youngster was also nominated for La Liga’s U-23 Player of the Month for February 2025, competing against Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal who was the eventual winner, Valencia’s Javi Guerra, Real Betis’ Jesús Rodríguez and Celta de Vigo’s Javi Rodríguez.
His versatility was on full display in Getafe’s recent 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid, where he delivered a solid performance with impressive statistics; 66% pass accuracy, one chance created, one key pass, 100% dribbles completed, seven passes into the final third, two tackles won, one interception, and four recoveries.
Meanwhile, Dessers has been in sublime form for Rangers since the start of the year. The 30-year-old striker has contributed 10 goals and three assists in 13 games for the Gers.
Overall, he has scored 22 goals and provided six assists in all competitions this season with only Osimhen’s 23 goals and five assists on the same level among Nigerians in Europe.
Even Victor Boniface, who was picked ahead of him, has managed just two goals this year, with just a handful of appearances, albeit after making an injury return. Moreover, Dessers has already scored twice for Nigeria, unlike Boniface, who has been unreliable whenever Osimhen is absent.
While Arokodare’s inclusion is somewhat justified given his impressive form in Belgium—where he leads the Jupiler Pro League scoring charts with 16 goals—many fans were surprised to see Sadiq Umar selected ahead of Dessers.
The Real Sociedad loanee joined Valencia in January and has scored five goals in 10 games for Carlos Corberan’s side, but those numbers pale in comparison to Dessers’ goal-scoring exploits.
Similarly, the selection of Southampton’s Joseph Ayodele-Aribo over Uche has left many fans puzzled.
Nigerian football fans have taken to social media to express their disappointment and outrage over the omission of Dessers and Uche from the Super Eagles squad.
Pamela Taiye said, “So Dessers was dropped for Sadiq Umar? We are in danger of missing out of the world cup and you people are still doing politics.”
Clinton Eleto simply questioned, “Aribo over Uche???” while @_luvnlight tweeted; “The NFF is very unfair to Dessers. He’s currently our best no. 9 after Osimhen this season. Why was he left out?”
Tosin Adeda commented wrote, “On current form, Dessers ahead of Boniface for me. What else does he have to do?”
Nigeria will confront group C leaders Rwanda in Kigali on Friday, March 21st before taking on Zimbabwe’s Warriors at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo four days later. Currently sitting fifth in Group C, the Super Eagles need consecutive victories to boost their chances of reaching the tournament.
With the exclusion of two in-form players, Chelle will be under immense pressure to deliver positive results in these critical encounters. Football fans across Nigeria will be watching with bated breath, hoping that the coach’s controversial selections will ultimately be vindicated by performances on the pitch.
