The Super Eagles open their March camp in Antalya on Tuesday, with three players set to pull on the green-and-white for the very first time. Here is everything you need to know about Nigeria’s squad, the new faces, and what these friendlies are really about.
Eric Chelle has confirmed his 23-man Super Eagles squad for the March international window, and the headline isn’t who he’s kept — it’s who he’s brought in. Three players will make their senior debuts across the two friendlies against Iran and Jordan, with the camp opening in Antalya, Turkey on March 24. Nigeria face Iran on March 27 at 4:00 p.m. local time, then close out against Jordan on March 31 at 8:00 p.m.
The tournament was originally scheduled for Amman but was relocated to Turkey following ongoing military tensions across parts of the Middle East. It’s a disruption the NFF has handled quietly. Camp opens, preparations continue, and Chelle gets the time with his players that he needs ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
Emmanuel Fernandez: The Rangers Defender Who Chose Nigeria
The most talked-about call-up belongs to Emmanuel Fernandez, the 24-year-old centre-back who has been one of the standout defenders in the Scottish Premiership this season. Born in London to Nigerian parents, Fernandez spent seven years in the Brentford youth setup before grinding his way through the lower reaches of English football. He played for Gillingham, Sheppey United, Margate, Ramsgate, Spalding United, Barnet, and Peterborough United before Rangers signed him last summer in a deal worth around €2.9 million.
He’s repaid that fee many times over. In 26 appearances for Danny Rohl’s side, Fernandez has scored six goals, mostly from set-pieces, and anchored a defence that has kept Rangers firmly in the Scottish title race. He was named the club’s Player of the Month for January 2026. Peterborough United’s former director Barry Fry has suggested he could fetch £40 million if Rangers decide to sell, with Bayern Munich, Chelsea, and Arsenal all said to be watching.
Fernandez had the option to represent England, a country he has never represented at any level, but committed to Nigeria after discussions with Chelle and filed for his Nigerian passport in February. He wears the number 37 shirt at Rangers in memory of his brother, who died at that age. He is the youngest of eight siblings. If he debuts in Antalya, he joins Joe Aribo and Calvin Bassey on the list of Nigerian internationals who first wore green-and-white while playing for Rangers.
Philip Otele: The Late Bloomer From Port Harcourt
Philip Otele’s journey to the Super Eagles is the kind of story that doesn’t fit neatly into a timeline. He was born in Port Harcourt, briefly trained with Arsenal as a teenager, and then spent years building his game across multiple countries and leagues before finding his level. He made his name in Switzerland with FC Basel, scoring nine goals and contributing four assists in 32 appearances across all competitions, and joined Hamburger SV on a loan deal in January 2026 that includes a permanent option.
At 26, Otele isn’t a prospect. He’s a player who has put in the work and is now demanding to be seen. Since arriving in Germany he’s started five of seven possible Bundesliga matches, picking up one assist while adapting to a more demanding pace of play. Chelle had flagged him in Nigeria’s 55-man provisional squad for AFCON 2025 but told him directly that he’d need to prove himself in a friendly before earning a competitive call-up. That moment has now arrived. Otele can play on either wing or as a central striker, and his directness and physical presence give Chelle something different in attack.
Yira Collins Sor: Conference League Goals, NPFL Roots
Yira Collins Sor is 25 and has been making noise in Belgium for a while now. He started out at Family Love Academy in Port Harcourt before moving to Lagos-based 36 Lion, a club with a long history of sending players abroad. His European breakthrough came with Czech side Banik Ostrava in early 2021, and Slavia Prague signed him less than a year later. He made that move count immediately, scoring twice on his Europa Conference League debut against Fenerbahce in February 2022, then doing it again in the round of 16 against LASK.
Those performances got KRC Genk’s attention. They signed him in December 2022 on a deal running to the summer of 2027, and he’s registered four goals and one assist in 23 Belgian Pro League appearances this season. Sor isn’t new to the national team setup entirely — he was part of Nigeria’s Flying Eagles squad at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Poland, making two appearances before Nigeria exited in the round of 16. The senior call-up has been a long time coming.
The Full Squad and What’s Missing
Victor Osimhen is absent, still recovering from the broken arm he suffered in Galatasaray’s Champions League clash with Liverpool. Stanley Nwabali is also out, meaning Maduka Okoye, Adebayo Adeleye, and Francis Uzoho share the goalkeeping positions. The outfield group is a blend of the familiar and the fresh, with Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, and Raphael Onyedika providing the midfield spine, and Ademola Lookman leading the attack.
Samuel Chukwueze, now at Fulham, is in the forward group alongside Moses Simon, Chidera Ejuke, Paul Onuachu, and Akor Adams. The absence of Osimhen puts pressure on that group to perform, and these two friendlies are exactly the kind of games where Chelle will want to see a response without their most recognisable face.
23-Man Super Eagles Squad — March 2026
Goalkeepers: Maduka Okoye, Adebayo Adeleye, Francis Uzoho
Defenders: Calvin Bassey, Oluwasemilogo Ajayi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Bruno Onyemaechi, Zaidu Sanusi, Igoh Ogbu, Emmanuel Fernandez
Midfielders: Alex Iwobi, Frank Onyeka, Wilfred Ndidi, Raphael Onyedika, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru
Forwards: Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze, Moses Simon, Chidera Ejuke, Paul Onuachu, Akor Adams, Philip Otele, Collins Yira Sor
Two friendlies. Three debutants. A relocated tournament. And a coach trying to build something that will last deep into the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign. Super Eagles fans who want to back Nigeria against Iran and Jordan can check the current Bet9ja promotion ahead of kick-off on March 27. New users can also head to bet9japromotioncode.ng to claim the YOHAIG welcome bonus before the first whistle.
📌 Did You Know?
- Emmanuel Fernandez wears the number 37 shirt at Rangers to honour his brother, who passed away at age 37. He is the youngest of eight siblings and was born in London to Nigerian parents.
- Yira Sor scored on his very first Europa Conference League appearance for Slavia Prague — a brace against Fenerbahce in February 2022 — and followed it with another two-goal showing in the round of 16 against LASK.
- Philip Otele briefly trained with Arsenal’s academy as a teenager in Port Harcourt before beginning a career that wound through multiple countries and leagues before reaching Europe’s top flights.
- Nigeria’s last four players to make their Super Eagles debuts while playing for Rangers FC were Joe Aribo, Calvin Bassey, Sadiq Umar, and now Emmanuel Fernandez — a remarkable pipeline from one Scottish club.
- The four-nation tournament in Antalya was originally planned for Amman, Jordan, but had to be moved in full due to the ongoing security situation across parts of the Middle East, making Turkey the emergency host.
- Yira Sor started his career at 36 Lion in Lagos, a club that has quietly become one of Nigeria’s most productive export pipelines, sending players to clubs across Central and Eastern Europe over the past decade.
- Philip Otele joined Hamburger SV in January 2026 from FC Basel, where he scored nine goals and added four assists in 32 appearances — numbers that represent a genuine breakthrough after years of persistence at lower levels of European football.
