Nigeria’s AFCON build-up has taken a tense turn, with the Super Eagles’ final squad yet to be released despite CAF’s deadline for all 2025 tournament lists falling today, Footynaija.com reports.
The team is expected in Morocco for the tournament kicking off on 21 December, but the much-anticipated squad announcement is still held up by internal delays that have stalled its release.
Eric Chelle has picked his final squad from the provisional list of over 50, with players set to regroup in Cairo this weekend. But the absence of an official squad list is raising concern, as key plans from friendlies to logistics depend on it.
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Reports have linked the hold-up to off-field pressure. Officials have been working to protect the coach’s selections while also trying to manage interference around the squad positions.
A report by The Guardian has said, “Lobbyists, who want to have their wards in the Super Eagles squad to the Morocco 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, are allegedly delaying the release of the country’s final squad.”
Another senior figure told the newspaper that the list “would have been released earlier than now, but for the influence of some top placed individuals lobbying for their players to make the squad.”
One source added that the NFF had been trying to manage “the problem” quietly, aiming not to disrupt Chelle’s plans ahead of the tournament.
CAF has given all countries competing at the tournament up to today to submit their final lists or risk punishment. The organisation allows teams to register 23 players, with the option of extending that number to 28 if the country agrees to cover the extra five.
Failure to meet today’s deadline will see the team lose two of the 23 allowed slots, with CAF only covering the cost and registration of 21 players from the submitted list.
