Reviewed by Rahmon OluwoNigeria sports betting writer
Published 20 September 2026 · Updated 26 September 2026
Nigeria beat Madagascar by two goals to one at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on 25 September, in the first of their AFCON 2027 qualifiers. George Ilenikhena and Moses Usor scored.
Madagascar scored first, in the sixteenth minute. Ilenikhena levelled before the interval and Usor put Nigeria in front in the second half.
Eric Chelle had named twenty four players for this window, for Madagascar in Uyo and for Guinea-Bissau in Bissau on 29 September. The two matches fall inside the FIFA window that runs from 21 September.
The squad Chelle took into the window
Victor Osimhen was in that list and did not play. The Nigeria Football Federation announced on 20 September that he had not recovered in time, and Galatasaray described the problem as a strain in the right adductor muscle group. Taiwo Awoniyi came in for him.
The shape of the list was unusual. Chelle picked three goalkeepers, nine defenders, four midfielders and eight forwards, which leaves almost no cover in the middle of the pitch and a great deal of it on the flanks and up front. Stanley Nwabali and Ola Aina were back, and Isaac James, Ilenikhena and Usor were called up for the first time. Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi and Samuel Chukwueze all kept their places.
Chelle also named a second, separate squad for the friendly against Russia on 6 October, built around different players. Splitting the window in two is a selection decision rather than an injury one, and it says he intends to look at a wider pool without weakening the qualifiers.
How Bissau prices up
Three points from the home match leaves the away trip as the fixture that will move the group outright rather than the result market. A first match settled by a single goal at home is also the sort of result that keeps a price honest for the second one.
Watch the team news rather than the squad list. A late change on the morning of a game has a bigger effect on a Nigerian card than almost anything else, and the second half of a window is where those changes tend to land.
Where to bet: SportyBet and Bet9ja, both operating under Nigerian state licences, price the qualifiers in naira on match result, both teams to score, over and under goals, correct score and group qualification, with deposits through OPay, Moniepoint and bank transfer. Qualifying prices set before a squad is confirmed fit often shorten once a team sheet lands, so compare the two books on the day rather than the week before. Our guide to the best betting sites in Nigeria covers licensing and withdrawal times, and there is more in Nigeria soccer news from AXN Sports. 18+. Gamble responsibly.
