Eight players in the Super Eagles squad for the final two games of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers could be disqualified from playing against Benin Republic.
Nigeria coach, Eric Chelle named 22 players for the games against Lesotho and Benin Republic.
The three-time African champions will play Lesotho in South Africa on Friday before facing Benin Republic four days later.
Eight of the players in Eric Chelle’s are walking a disciplinary tightrope, allnigeriasoccer.com reports.
They are Semi Ajayi, Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi, Tolu Arokodare, Stanley Nwabali, Ademola Lookman, and Bruno Onyemaechi.
These player are all one yellow card away from being suspended having been booked in earlier rounds of the qualifiers.
Also in this category are Jamilu Collins, Sodiq Ismail, Bright Osayi-Samuel and Umar Sadiq but they were not called up for the games.
Osayi-Samuel could not make it for the qualifying games against Lesotho and Benin due to injury.
Fifa’s regulations states that any player who receives two cautions in separate matches is automatically suspended for the next game.
Nwabali, Lookman, Ndidi, Bassey, Iwobi, by this regulation could miss the game against Benin Republic if they by any chance get another yellow card.
Nigeria are in third position in the Group C, where they trail the likes of Benin Republic (group leaders) and South Africa in second place.
