Osimhen ruled out as Awoniyi returns for Nigeria’s AFCON 2027 qualifiers
Taiwo Awoniyi is back in the Super Eagles squad after being called up to replace injured Victor Osimhen for Nigeria’s opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
The replacement was announced through the official Super Eagles account on Sunday.
Osimhen will miss both fixtures as he continues his recovery from a muscle problem, forcing coach Eric Chelle to reshape his attack just days before Nigeria begin their qualifying campaign.
CAF says the striker has been ruled out of the September 25 meeting with Madagascar and the September 29 trip to Guinea-Bissau.
Awoniyi gets another Super Eagles opening
Awoniyi’s return gives Nigeria another established centre-forward at the point they have lost their most prolific active international scorer.
Osimhen had been included in Chelle’s original squad despite the injury. CAF said subsequent medical examinations revealed a muscle strain and pain in his right thigh, with his recovery failing to progress quickly enough for the September internationals.
His absence removes a major attacking reference point from a qualifying campaign that leaves little margin for a slow start.
CAF lists Osimhen with 35 goals in 52 appearances for Nigeria.
Chelle must now redistribute that scoring responsibility, with Awoniyi joining an attacking group that also includes Ademola Lookman and Samuel Chukwueze.
Osimhen absence raises the pressure
Losing Osimhen at the start of the campaign changes the attacking equation for Chelle.
The Super Eagles still possess established forward options, but they enter the opening window without the striker with the strongest proven scoring record in the current squad.
That makes Awoniyi’s recall more than a routine replacement. He returns at a point when Nigeria need an immediate answer to a significant loss in the centre of attack.
Why Group L leaves little margin
The pressure is increased by the unusual qualification format in Group L.
Nigeria are grouped with Madagascar, Guinea-Bissau and Tanzania.
Under CAF’s general format, the top two teams in each four-team group qualify for the finals. But Tanzania are one of the three 2027 co-hosts and are already guaranteed a place at the tournament.
That changes the equation for Group L: only one additional team will qualify from the group.
In practical terms, Nigeria must finish above both Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau in the final group standings to claim that remaining ticket, regardless of where automatically qualified Tanzania finish.
The six-match, home-and-away campaign therefore gives Nigeria little room to surrender points against their two direct qualification rivals.
Madagascar first for reshaped attack
Nigeria host Madagascar on September 25 before facing Guinea-Bissau away four days later.
Those fixtures immediately put the Super Eagles against the two teams they must ultimately outperform for the group’s available qualifying place.
Awoniyi therefore returns not simply as another squad option but as the direct replacement for the striker Nigeria had expected to lead the line.
Chelle still has attacking quality available. What he no longer has is Osimhen’s proven international scoring record.
Nigeria’s first test of the reshaped attack comes against Madagascar.
