Taiwo Awoniyi has been called up to replace Victor Osimhen in Nigeria’s squad for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
The Super Eagles announced Awoniyi’s inclusion in a post on their official X account on Sunday.
“Coventry City striker Taiwo Awoniyi replaces Victor Osimhen in Nigeria’s squad for the AFCON 2027 qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
“Welcome back, Taiwo,” the post read.
Awoniyi, 29, joined newly promoted English Championship club Coventry City after leaving Nottingham Forest in a reported £9 million transfer.
Osimhen was initially included in the squad for the September international window but has been ruled out of the two qualifiers after taking longer than expected to recover from a right adductor muscle strain.
The Galatasaray striker had been expected to regain full fitness in time for the matches, with his availability for the club’s Süper Lig fixture against Trabzonspor on September 19 viewed as an important fitness assessment.
However, Osimhen was not available for the match, further raising concerns over his readiness for the international fixtures.
Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle had earlier named separate squads for the AFCON qualifiers and an international friendly against Russia.
The Super Eagles are scheduled to face Madagascar on September 25 and Guinea-Bissau on September 29, before taking on Russia in a friendly on October 6, 2026.
