Reviewed by Rahmon OluwoNigeria sports betting writer
Published 11 September 2026
Victor Osimhen misses Nigeria’s opening two AFCON 2027 qualifiers after Galatasaray confirmed a muscle strain, and Paul Onuachu came off injured for Trabzonspor in the same week, leaving Eric Chelle short in the position Nigeria can least afford it.
Galatasaray confirmed the strain in the days after the injury and put Osimhen’s recovery beyond the international window. Nigerian reports agree that he takes no part in either qualifier.
Onuachu was forced off during Trabzonspor’s five nil win over Gençlerbirliği on Sunday. Complete Sports reports that the club’s interim coach, Hüseyin Çimşir, played the injury down and expected him available for their next league match. Trabzonspor had not published a diagnosis at the time of writing, so his availability for Nigeria is unsettled rather than ruled out.
The dates are now agreed
Two Nigerian newsrooms give the same calendar: Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on 25 September, then Guinea Bissau away on 29 September. AXN Sports held those dates back on 5 September because published reports differed by two days. They have since settled on this pair, and one outlet still carrying 23 and 27 September is the outlier.
Why a striker shortage costs more in Group L
Group L is Nigeria, Madagascar, Guinea Bissau and Tanzania, and it carries one qualifying place rather than two, because Tanzania are already at the finals as a host country. There is no second place to fall into and no slow start to repair later.
That changes what a home draw in Uyo is worth. In an ordinary group it is a point banked. Here it is a point conceded to whichever of Madagascar or Guinea Bissau wins their own matches, and the margin for a misfiring attack is two results rather than four.
Chelle has other forwards and Nigeria are not short of attacking options. What they are short of is their first choice centre forward, in the fixture that sets the tone for a campaign with a single route out of it.
Where to bet: AFCON qualifying is priced in naira on SportyBet and Bet9ja, both operating under Nigerian state licences, on match result, both teams to score, correct score and qualification outrights, with deposits through OPay, Moniepoint and bank transfer. Anytime scorer and first scorer lists are the markets that move on team news, so wait for the confirmed eighteen in Uyo rather than taking a price built on a squad that has changed twice. Our guide to the best betting sites in Nigeria covers licensing and withdrawal times, and there is more in Nigeria soccer news. 18+. Gamble responsibly.
