The final list of players expected to represent Nigeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco is still being held back amid claims that influential lobbyists are pressuring the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to include their preferred players. The championship begins on December 21, yet the official squad list is still pending.
NFF Media Director, Ademola Olajire, told The Guardian that the list would be released today.
However, a senior federation official revealed that the announcement would have come much earlier if not for attempts by “top-placed individuals lobbying for their wards to make the team.”
CAF’s deadline for all participating nations to submit their squads is today, and failure to comply could attract sanctions.
CAF rules permit teams to register 23 players for the tournament, with an option to add five more at their own expense.
Any country that submits its list more than seven days after the deadline will lose two squad slots, meaning the tournament body will only cater for 21 players from that nation.
The News Chronicle gathered that the NFF is trying to manage the internal pressure without disrupting Coach Eric Chelle’s selection strategy.
When asked about the alleged interference, Olajire simply maintained that the list would be published today.
Meanwhile, plans for the Super Eagles’ training camp have shifted. The camp will now open in Cairo on Saturday instead of the previously announced December 10, following FIFA’s directive that clubs must release players for AFCON no earlier than December 14.
This development may also affect the friendly match against Egypt scheduled for December 16, as most of the Nigerian delegation will not arrive in Cairo until December 13.
Nigeria is expected to play two test games in Cairo before heading to Morocco for their opening Group C match against Tanzania on December 23 in Fès.
The team will then face Tunisia on December 27 and Uganda on December 31, in what is shaping up to be one of AFCON 2025’s most closely contested groups.
