Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong, prolific striker Victor Osimhen, and goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali headline Nigeria’s 24-man squad named by head coach Eric Chelle for next week’s 2026 FIFA World Cup African Play-off Tournament in Rabat, Morocco.

Also listed are dependable defenders Bright Osayi-Samuel and Calvin Bassey, alongside midfield stalwarts Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, and Frank Onyeka, as well as attacking wingers Samuel Chukwueze and Ademola Lookman.

Nigeria will face Gabon in the first semi-final at the 22,000-capacity Complexe Sportif Prince Héritier Moulay Al Hassan in Rabat, while Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo square off in the other semi-final at the El-Barid Stadium, which seats 18,000 fans.

Chelle, who is leading Nigeria to his first major tournament since his appointment, has also recalled Maduka Okoye, the Italy-based goalkeeper, and Chidera Ejuke, who plies his trade with Sevilla in Spain. Midfielder Raphael Onyedika and forwards Tolu Arokodare, Jerome Akor Adams, and Olusegun Olakunle also make the roster.

However, defender Oluwasemilogo Ajayi will miss the semi-final tie against Gabon due to a one-match suspension after accumulating two yellow cards during the qualifying campaign.

The Super Eagles are expected to arrive in Morocco from their various clubs across Europe and elsewhere on Monday, November 10, to commence preparations for the high-stakes encounter.

Nigeria’s 24-Man Squad for 2026 FIFA World Cup African Play-off Tournament

Goalkeepers:
Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Amas Obasogie (Singida Black Stars, Tanzania); Maduka Okoye (Udinese, Italy)

Defenders:
William Troost-Ekong (Al-Kholood, Saudi Arabia); Calvin Bassey (Fulham, England); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (Hull City, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece); Chidozie Awaziem (Nantes, France); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Benjamin Fredericks (Dender FC, Belgium)

Midfielders:
Alex Iwobi (Fulham, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford, England); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA); Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas, Turkey); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium)

Forwards:
Ademola Lookman (Atalanta, Italy); Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham, England); Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray, Turkey); Moses Simon (Paris FC, France); Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla, Spain); Tolu Arokodare (Wolverhampton Wanderers, England); Akor Adams (Sevilla, Spain); Olakunle Olusegun (Pari Nizhny Novgorod, Russia)

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The controversy surrounding the appointment of match officials for next week’s Nigeria–Gabon FIFA World Cup qualifying play-off appears to have deepened, as respected Nigerian-British journalist Osasu Obayiuwana revealed that South African referee Abongile Tom may no longer officiate the crucial fixture.

Obayiuwana, a long-standing African football correspondent and governance analyst, disclosed details of a private exchange on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday evening, citing an informed contact within the Confederation of African Football (CAF) system.

In the conversation, his source reportedly confirmed that referee Abongile Tom, who had been originally designated to handle the match scheduled for Thursday, November 14 in Rabat, Morocco, “will not officiate Nigeria vs Gabon and will be replaced soon.”

“Really? Who told you this? And who will replace him?” Obayiuwana asked in the exchange.

His contact replied: “I don’t know the replacement, but it was a very controversial decision to appoint him for this game. There has been a lot of pressure from all corners…”

The source further revealed that CAF’s initial referee allocation process for the play-off series was based on regional representation rather than strict merit or performance ranking — a move that has drawn widespread criticism.

“For the Nigeria vs Gabon match, it was allocated to a referee from @COSAFAMEDIA (Southern Africa), and the Cameroon vs Congo game to a referee from @Cecafaonline (East Africa), with the final match being allocated to a referee from North Africa,” the contact explained.

“Instead of giving the matches to the best referees on the continent, referees were appointed on a regional basis. This is wrong and responsible for the current situation.”

The revelation follows growing disquiet in Nigeria after the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) lodged a formal protest to FIFA and CAF earlier this week over what it described as “questionable and regionally biased” referee appointments.

The NFF’s protest particularly objected to the choice of South African officials — citing potential conflict of interest, given the long-standing football rivalry and geopolitical tensions between Nigeria and South Africa within CAF’s decision-making structures.

As of Friday morning, CAF had yet to issue an official statement on the reported change of officials or to confirm who will now take charge of the Nigeria–Gabon fixture, which will determine one of Africa’s final qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

With the stakes high and questions swirling over transparency in referee appointments, CAF’s handling of the situation is likely to come under renewed scrutiny — both from national federations and from the global football community.

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By Kunle Solaja.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has formally lodged a complaint with FIFA over what it describes as “a clear conflict of interest” in the appointment of South African and Benin Republic officials to handle Nigeria’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying play-off against Gabon.

The decisive fixture is scheduled to take place at the Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan Rabat, Morocco, next Thursday, with the winner securing a spot in the next phase of the World Cup qualification series.

According to the appointment list signed by Gordon Savic, FIFA’s Head of Qualifiers & International Matches, South Africa’s Abongile Tom will officiate as the centre referee, assisted by compatriot Zakhele Thusi Granville Siwela, who will serve as Assistant Referee 2.

 Another South African, Akhona Zennith Makalima, has been named head of the two-person Video Assistant Referee (VAR) team.

Hugues Alain Djovi from Benin Republic will act as the Referee Assessor.

The NFF’s protest, submitted on Wednesday night, argues that assigning match officials from South Africa and Benin Republic—two nations that were in Nigeria’s qualifying group—raises serious concerns over impartiality.

Benin Republic was eliminated in dramatic fashion, with Nigeria edging Cheetahs on the final matchday to advance.

In a strongly worded statement addressed to FIFA, the NFF maintained that “neutrality is a fundamental principle in international officiating” and that the appointments “could compromise the integrity of the match or give room for perceived bias.”

Reference can be made to recent comments by South Africa’s Sports Minister, Gayton McKenzie, who publicly stated that he would not want Nigeria to qualify for the World Cup. Speaking during an interview with Johannesburg’s Radio 947 days ago.

 McKenzie accused Nigeria of “attempting to sabotage South Africa’s qualification campaign” and vowed that “justice will be served on the pitch.”

What the sports minister meant by sabotage was the Group C protest against South Africa’s fielding of ineligible player – an offence that other nations had been penalized for.

FIFA eventually penalized South Africa for the infringement. Most Nigerians perceived the statement by the South African sports minister as “unprofessional and inflammatory,” noting that appointing referees from a country whose senior government official has expressed hostility toward Nigeria “is at best insensitive and at worst prejudicial.”

FIFA has not yet issued an official response to Nigeria’s protest, but sources within the NFF revealed that the federation is pressing for the replacement of all match officials from South Africa and Benin Republic before the fixture.

The Nigeria–Gabon play-off is regarded as one of the most anticipated ties in the African qualifiers, with both teams fighting to stay in contention for a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

If FIFA upholds Nigeria’s protest, a new set of officials from neutral countries will likely be appointed in the coming days

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