Chelle Calls Up Taiwo Awoniyi to Replace Injured Victor Osimhen

Posted : 21 September 2026

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has called up Coventry City striker Taiwo Awoniyi to replace Victor Osimhen for Nigeria’s upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. Osimhen has been ruled out after failing to recover from a right adductor injury suffered while playing for Galatasaray.

Osimhen was initially included in Chelle’s 24-man squad announced on September 17. The Galatasaray forward had been recovering from the injury and was given an opportunity to prove his fitness before the international window. However, his condition prevented him from joining the Super Eagles.

The Nigeria Football Federation subsequently confirmed that Awoniyi would take his place in the squad. The Coventry City striker returns to the national team after a lengthy absence dating back to October 2024.

Awoniyi last represented Nigeria in the 1-0 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying victory over Libya in October 2024. His return comes after a difficult period affected by injuries and limited playing time during his final months at Nottingham Forest.

The 28-year-old moved to Coventry City and has since returned to regular competitive football. His recall gives Chelle another experienced centre-forward option ahead of the qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.

Nigeria will host Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on September 25 before travelling to Guinea-Bissau for the second qualifier on September 29.

Awoniyi offers a physical presence in attack and has experience competing against high-level defenders in English football. His ability to hold up the ball and operate centrally provides Chelle with a different option for the Super Eagles' attacking setup.

His return also comes at a time when Nigeria have several forwards competing for places. Tolu Arokodare, Akor Adams and George Ilenikhena were included in the original squad alongside Osimhen.

Chelle's original selection of Osimhen had attracted attention because the striker had not played since suffering his injury on September 4. Galatasaray continued to manage his recovery carefully, with the forward training separately from the main squad during the build-up to their league fixture against Trabzonspor.

Awoniyi now has an opportunity to re-establish himself with the Super Eagles after nearly two years away. His inclusion adds another experienced attacking option as Nigeria begin their latest campaign to qualify for the 2027 AFCON tournament.

Chelle Calls Up Taiwo Awoniyi to Replace Injured Victor Osimhen

ADD A COMMENT :

Hot Topics