Coventry City striker Taiwo Awoniyi has been called up by the Super Eagles as a replacement for the injured Victor Osimhen ahead of the 2027 AFCON qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
The announcement was made via the Super Eagles’ official X account on Sunday.
Galatasaray striker Osimhen has been ruled out of both qualifiers because his recovery from a muscle strain has not gone to plan. He was named in Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle’s squad in the hope he would regain fitness in time, but his absence from Galatasaray’s Sper Lig 4-0 loss to Trabzonspor on Saturday ended that hope.
Awoniyi, 29, a former Golden Eaglets and Flying Eagles star, made his Super Eagles debut in October 2021. He last featured for the national team on October 11, 2024, against Libya, and has two goals in 10 appearances. He recently joined newly promoted Coventry City from Nottingham Forest.
Nigeria host Madagascar in Uyo on September 25 before travelling to Guinea-Bissau on September 29.
The setback deprives Nigeria of a striker former Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim has described as one of the best in the world.
‘Osimhen is an extraordinary striker, among the best in the world,’ Terim reportedly told Turkish outlet 24 Saat Gazetesi. ‘As long as he stays focused on the game, it’s really difficult to go one-on-one with him.
‘He can score goals even when it’s not on his mind, even when there’s no scoring opportunity. He’s a striker who earns his own living the hard way.’
Terim noted that Osimhen finds the net even when he is not in form. The Galatasaray forward, who completed a permanent move to the Turkish giants in May 2026, was previously linked with Arsenal, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain.