2026 WCQ: Zaidu Sanusi, Chrisantus Uche Called Up To Replace Injured Dessers And Osayi-Samuel
1 min read
By Sedara Philip
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has announced that Zaidu Sanusi and Chrisantus Uche have been drafted into the Super Eagles squad as replacements for Cyriel Dessers and Bright Osayi-Samuel, who have both been ruled out through injury.
The update was confirmed via the official Super Eagles X (formerly Twitter) handle on Saturday.
Both Dessers and Osayi-Samuel have been key figures for Nigeria in recent months, but injuries have now sidelined them ahead of the crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying double-header against Lesotho and Benin Republic later this month.
The latest withdrawals add to growing fitness concerns in the camp, with reports indicating that Felix Agu could also be a doubt for the qualifiers after being forced off during Werder Bremen’s home clash against St. Pauli on Saturday.
If Agu fails to recover in time, head coach Eric Chelle may be compelled to make further adjustments to his squad before the first game.
The Super Eagles are set to face Lesotho on October 10 in Polokwane, South Africa, for Matchday 9 of the World Cup qualifiers.
Four days later, on October 14, Nigeria will host Benin Republic in what promises to be a decisive encounter on Matchday 10.
Sedara Philip is a Sports writer, an administrator,Journalist,and editor
