Super Eagles coach, Eric Chelle, will name his final squad for the 2024 CHAN tournament on Tuesday (today) after two weeks of training in Ikenne, Ogun State.
The rescheduled continental tournament will take place from August 2 to 30 across three East African countries—Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
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According to sources within the team’s camp, the final squad will be selected after a concluding test match today, which will mark the end of the team’s preparation phase before departure.
Chelle initially invited 35 home-based players to the provisional camp, but the number has since been trimmed. Five players—Papa Daniel Mustapha, Waliu Ojetoye, Savour Isaac, Abubakar Sadiq, and Philip Adejo—became ineligible after securing moves abroad, while Rangers International defender Ifeanyi Onyebuchi was ruled out due to injury.
As the final selection looms, players in camp have acknowledged the pressure to impress and secure a place in the squad.
“Everybody is under pressure, but definitely the coaches want the best among the 35 players,” said Junior Nduka, who captained the team during the qualifying rounds.
Former Flying Eagles and Rivers United forward Aniekeme Okon also admitted to the intensity of the competition. “With 35 players invited, everyone is giving their best in the hope of being selected. So we keep pushing,” he said.
Nigeria, runners-up at the 2018 edition, have been drawn in Group D of the 19-team tournament alongside defending champions Senegal, Sudan, and Congo.
The Super Eagles B will begin their campaign with back-to-back matches against Senegal and Sudan at the Amman Stadium in Zanzibar, before rounding off the group stage against Congo at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
Despite reaching the final in 2018 and finishing third in 2014, Nigeria has yet to win the CHAN title, a record Chelle and his squad will be eager to rewrite this year.