According to an exclusive report by OwnGoalNigeria on Monday, October 26, 2026, Super Eagles duo Ebenezer Akinsamiro and Ryan Alebiosu are facing the prospect of being snubbed by head coach Eric Chelle for Nigeria’s upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers after reportedly snubbing the Unity Cup tournament in May.

According to the report, Chelle is not expected to include the two players in his squad for the November qualifiers despite their impressive performances at club level.

Nigeria will return to action next month against Tanzania in back-to-back qualifying fixtures as the Super Eagles look to recover from their disappointing 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in their last outing.

However, the report claims that Akinsamiro and Alebiosu are unlikely to feature in the squad following their decision to miss the Unity Cup tournament in London.

According to the report, Chelle was unhappy and disappointed with the duo for declining the opportunity to represent Nigeria at the invitational competition.

Akinsamiro has reportedly impressed with Italian Serie A side Monza, while Alebiosu has continued to feature for Blackburn Rovers in England.

Despite their club form, their reported absence from the Unity Cup appears to have affected their standing under Chelle, who has continued to assess other options within the national team setup.

Akinsamiro’s place in the midfield has reportedly come under pressure following Alhassan Yusuf’s performances at the Unity Cup.

Yusuf used the tournament to strengthen his case for a return to the national team after missing the AFCON squad.

Alebiosu, meanwhile, faces increased competition at right-back, with Abdullahi Bewene emerging as a backup option during Nigeria’s subsequent friendly matches against Poland and Portugal.

The Blackburn Rovers defender had featured for the Super Eagles in their final group-stage match against Uganda at the AFCON, making his potential omission from the November squad a notable development.

Chelle will now be looking to select players capable of helping Nigeria return to winning ways as they continue their quest to qualify for the 2027 AFCON.