Eric Chelle has reportedly submitted his squad list to the NFF ahead of Nigeria’s four-nation tournament in Amman, Jordan. Three diaspora players could earn their first senior caps before the month is out.
The Super Eagles won’t be at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America. That’s the painful reality. But Eric Chelle isn’t standing still. With a four-nation invitational tournament scheduled for the Amman International Stadium in Jordan from March 27 to 31, the Frenchman is using the March FIFA window to reshape a squad that still has plenty of untapped potential.
Nigeria face Iran on March 27 and Jordan on March 31 in their two confirmed fixtures. Both opponents are World Cup-bound, which makes this trip far more than a low-stakes warm-up. It’s an audition. For the team, and for several players pushing hard for their first senior caps.
Chelle has already shown he isn’t afraid to be bold. He named five debutants in the 28-man AFCON squad for Morocco, where the Eagles ultimately finished third. Ryan Alebiosu, Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, Tochukwu Nnadi, Usman Muhammed, and Salim Fago Lawal all featured in that overhaul, one of the most dramatic squad shake-ups in recent AFCON history.
The March window looks set to continue that trend. Here are the three players who could be about to get the call.
1. Arthur Okonkwo (Wrexham, England)
This one has been building for months. The 24-year-old Wrexham goalkeeper has officially confirmed his intention to represent Nigeria, and FIFA has signed off on his international switch. The NFF, however, has since clarified that no FIFA clearance was required for Okonkwo to make his Super Eagles debut, removing the last bureaucratic hurdle standing between him and a call-up.
Okonkwo stands at an imposing 1.98 metres and has been the undisputed first-choice keeper at Wrexham in the English Championship this season. He’s made 35 appearances across all competitions, drawing praise for his commanding presence in the box, clean distribution, and reflexes under pressure. He played a starring role in Wrexham’s 2-1 victory over Charlton Athletic at The Valley on February 28, and his penalty shootout heroics in the FA Cup against Nottingham Forest earlier in January turned heads well beyond Wales.
There’s also the question of Nigeria’s goalkeeping situation. Stanley Nwabali is currently without a club following AFCON 2025. Amas Obasogie is under suspension amid match-fixing allegations. The goalkeeper position has rarely looked this open. Chelle would be taking very little risk by handing Okonkwo his debut in Jordan. In fact, it would be riskier not to.
2. Justin Njinmah (Werder Bremen, Germany)
You won’t find many players in the Bundesliga with a profile quite like Justin Njinmah’s. The Werder Bremen forward plays with pace, directness, and an unpredictability that makes him very difficult to defend one-on-one. He’s been on Nigeria’s radar since last year’s World Cup qualifying campaign, and indications are that his international clearance to represent Nigeria is close to completion.
Njinmah has made 23 appearances across all competitions this season, scoring four goals while operating across the front line. What makes him particularly interesting to Chelle is his versatility. He can play wide on either flank or through the middle, giving the head coach tactical options in an attack that still sometimes lacks creativity and directness.
There’s a personal angle to this story, too. Njinmah has reportedly been encouraged to commit to Nigeria by fellow Werder Bremen player and Super Eagles star Victor Boniface, who chose Nigeria over Germany and hasn’t looked back. Boniface’s example appears to have been persuasive. His Werder Bremen teammate Felix Agu made a similar switch, representing Nigeria in the 2025 Unity Cup before an injury ruled him out of AFCON. If Chelle can get Njinmah cleared in time, the March tournament would be the perfect debut platform.
3. Emmanuel Fernandez (Rangers FC, Scotland)
Emmanuel Fernandez is the most complete of the three candidates. The 24-year-old centre-back moved to Rangers from Peterborough United in the summer of 2025, and after a slow settling-in period, he’s firmly established himself as a key part of the Light Blues’ defensive setup in the Scottish Premiership.
Fernandez is comfortable playing out from the back, reads the game extremely well, and has shown something rare for a central defender: he can contribute offensively. In 18 appearances for Rangers this season, he has scored five goals, a remarkable return that speaks to his aerial ability, timing from set pieces, and confidence in driving forward when the opportunity presents itself.
His case for a Nigeria call-up is also strategic. William Troost-Ekong and Semi Ajayi are both moving into the latter stages of their international careers. Nigeria needs to find its next generation of central defenders before that transition period becomes a crisis. Fernandez, born in England to Nigerian parents, has committed his international future to Nigeria and fits the profile of exactly the kind of player Chelle has been building toward: technically sound, defensively reliable, and capable of winning the ball in the air.
Analysis: What This Means for the Super Eagles
Chelle’s approach to squad-building is becoming clearer with each window. He’s not rebuilding for the short term. The emphasis on diaspora players who have dual nationality and a genuine desire to represent Nigeria suggests the coach is looking for motivated, technically developed talent that can blend with the NPFL-developed core over time.
The risk with this strategy is clear: players switching nationality at the senior level sometimes take time to buy into the culture and collective spirit of a national team. Chelle experienced this tension firsthand with Felix Agu. But the potential upside is significant. Okonkwo solves an immediate goalkeeping problem. Njinmah adds dangerous direct pace to a sometimes-static attack. And Fernandez could become the cornerstone of Nigeria’s defence for the next six to eight years.
The March friendlies won’t generate World Cup headlines. But they could lay the foundations for a Nigeria side that looks very different, and very competitive, by the time the next qualification campaign begins. That’s the real prize here.
What’s at Stake in Amman
Nigeria’s two opponents in Jordan aren’t lightweight. Iran is a confirmed participant in the 2026 World Cup. Jordan is the host nation for this tournament and has its own continental pedigree, having reached the final of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup. These are proper tests, not friendly walkover appointments.
For players like Okonkwo, Njinmah, and Fernandez, performing against World Cup-qualified opposition in front of a watching Chelle would be the ideal way to state their case. The Super Eagles coaching staff will be tracking every minute.
With Nigeria’s next major competitive cycle now building toward the 2027 AFCON in East Africa, these March fixtures carry real weight. Chelle has a squad to shape and a culture to build. The players who take their chance in Amman could become permanent fixtures in the green and white. Those who don’t may find it harder to reopen the door. For accumulator bettors tracking international football action this March, Bet9ja’s 170% multiple boost is worth exploring when building multi-leg wagers across these international fixtures.
📌 Did You Know?
- Arthur Okonkwo previously declined a call-up to Nigeria’s U20 side, making his eventual senior debut, if it comes in March, a remarkable turnaround in his international career.
- Okonkwo started his professional career at Arsenal, where he spent eight years in the academy system before leaving without a senior appearance for the club.
- Justin Njinmah’s Werder Bremen teammate Felix Agu blazed the same trail before him, switching from Germany to Nigeria and making his Super Eagles debut in the 2025 Unity Cup at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium.
- Emmanuel Fernandez was the second defender with Super Eagles eligibility to join Rangers in the summer of 2025, following the earlier arrival of a young full-back at Ibrox, also eyeing a Nigeria call-up.
- Nigeria’s four-nation tournament opponents, Iran, are heading to the 2026 World Cup in North America, making them exactly the type of yardstick Chelle needs to measure his evolving squad against.
- The 17,000-capacity Amman International Stadium in Jordan will host both of Nigeria’s March fixtures, with the Eagles facing Iran on March 27 and the host nation Jordan on March 31.
- Chelle named five debutants in his AFCON 2025 squad for Morocco, and Nigeria finished third in the tournament, suggesting his willingness to hand new caps hasn’t hurt the team’s competitiveness.
