• Team to converge on South Africa for Lesotho game
• Ime Okon back in Broos’ Bafana Bafana’s interim squad
Super Eagles Manager, Eric Sekou Chelle, will release the names of players in his provisional list for the 2026 World Cup qualifying games against Lesotho and Benin Republic this week, an official of the team has said.
Nigeria will travel to South Africa for their last away game of the qualifying series, which is against Lesotho in Bloemfontein on October 6, before returning to Uyo to host Benin Republic three days later.
According to a Super Eagles’ official, who pleaded anonymity, Chelle has forwarded the names of players in his provisional list to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), which is expected to release the squad any time this week.
He said: “This is not the time to gamble because our destiny is no longer in our hands. The coach has chosen only those players capable of helping him to win the last two games, which is compulsory if the Eagles must gain anything from Group C.
“When we win the two games, we will now turn to the calculator to see where we stand. If FIFA takes three points away from South Africa, the Bafana Bafana, Nigeria and Benin Republic could end on 17 points each if Rwanda get any point from their game against the Bafana Bafana. But we must win our games first.”
He revealed that players chosen for the game against Lesotho from the provisional list will fly direct to South Africa from their bases, while the team will come back to Nigeria together on a chartered flight.
Nigeria is in third place with 11 points in Group C, which is led by South Africa on 17 points, followed by Benin Republic on 14 points.
Meanwhile, Bafana Bafana Coach, Hugo Broos, yesterday, announced his preliminary squad for the Bafana Bafana games against Zimbabwe and Rwanda.
Zimbabwe will host Bafana Bafana at Moses Mabhida Stadium, on October 10, before they welcome Rwanda to Mbombela Stadium four days later.
Victories in both matches will see Bafana Bafana qualify for the global showpiece, regardless of whether they are docked three points and handed a 3-0 defeat by FIFA, which has launched an investigation into Teboho Mokoena.
Mokoena was fielded against Lesotho in March despite being ineligible.
Broos is also leaving no stone unturned in his mission to lead Bafana Bafana to the promised land — the World Cup — which would mark his final hurrah as a coach.
His preliminary squad includes the core of the 23 players who beat Likuena and drew with the Super Eagles in the last qualifiers in Bloemfontein earlier this month.
However, there were some notable returns to the team, including Sphephelo Sithole, who last played for Bafana during their third-place finish at the recent Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Cote d’Ivoire.
Germany-based Nigerian-born Ime Okon, who missed the last clash due to injury, is also on the list of players, which will be pruned to 23 before the games against Zimbabwe and Rwanda.
