World Cup 2026 (Q): Not called up for the Super Eagles, Ahmed Musa reacts

On March 11, 2025, Nigeria's head coach, Éric Chelle, unveiled his final squad of 23 players for the 2026 World Cup qualifying matches. Notably, former Super Eagles captain Ahmed Musa is not on the list.

The Nigerian national team will face their counterparts from Rwanda and Zimbabwe on March 21 and 25, 2025, respectively, as part of the 5th and 6th rounds of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. On this occasion, coach Eric Chelle has called up all the key players of the Super Eagles squad, including Ola Aina, captain William Troost-Ekong, Calvin Bassey, Raphael Onyedika, Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Tolu Arokodare, and Victor Boniface.

The coach has sidelined Ahmed Musa, a former captain and the most capped player of the Nigerian team. This is not entirely surprising, as it has been some time since he was last called up by Chelle's predecessors. His last selection for the Super Eagles was in February 2024, but his most recent appearance in Nigerian colors was on March 27, 2023, against Guinea-Bissau during the 2023 AFCON qualifiers. While his fans are upset by his absence, Ahmed Musa does not seem troubled by not being called up.

“The team is one, and any player called to join the Super Eagles must give their best. I fully support the team and will encourage them to win these World Cup qualifying matches,” Musa stated.

Lydiane N'Po |

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Sports journalist specializing in African football, covering football news, exclusive stories and digital content for passionate fans of the game.