The most prominent absence from the team is the forward for Bayer Leverkusen, who suffered a botched transfer to AC Milan earlier this month after failing a battery of medical examinations.

His exclusion comes after months of conjecture on his long-term durability, as his playing time was restricted in recent seasons by a number of cruciate ligament injuries and recurrent muscular issues.

The 24-year-old Boniface, who was supposed to lead Nigeria’s attack alongside Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen, returned to Leverkusen training on Wednesday. As a result of his exclusion, Chelle now has Cyriel Dessers, Tolu Arokodare, and Samuel Chukwueze as backup forwards.
Stanley Nwabali, the Super Eagles’ first-choice goalkeeper, has been cleared to make the final cut, which is further good news.

There are concerns that the Chippa United goalie may miss Nigeria’s September qualifiers after he was carted off during Tuesday’s South African league match against Richards Bay.

Nwabali has been Nigeria’s number one since the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, where he impressed with a string of commanding displays. Nwabali’s medical tests have since cleared him to return, allaying Chelle’s concerns as the team would have otherwise had to rely on relatively inexperienced goalkeepers Adeleye Adebayo and Amas Obasogie. Nigeria will play the Amavubi of Rwanda in Uyo on September 6 before traveling to Bloemfontein to play South Africa’s Bafana Bafana three days later. With just seven points from six games, the Super Eagles sit fourth in Group C, six points behind the South Africans. If they fail to secure maximum points from the doubleheader, Nigeria could be eliminated before the final qualifying round in October.

Captain William Troost-Ekong leads the team, and well-known players like Osimhen, Lookman, Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, and Raphael Onyedika are also present. Along with Unity Cup reveals Christantus Uche and Benjamin Fredericks, defender Felix Agu is also making a comeback.