November 10, (THEWILL) – Bayer Leverkusen winger, Nathan Tella, has received his first call-up to the Nigerian national team ahead of their upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe this November. The 24-year-old, who was born in England, has decided to pledge his international allegiance to Nigeria.
Tella is part of a 23-man Super Eagles squad announced by manager Jose Peseiro. The squad features a total of three goalkeepers, eight defenders, four midfielders and eight forwards. Joining Tella in the team are English Premier League stars like Nottingham Forest’s Taiwo Awoniyi, Leicester City’s Kelechi Iheanacho and Fulham’s Alex Iwobi.
Nigeria will first host Lesotho on 17th November, before facing Zimbabwe away on 20th November. The Zimbabwe match will be held at the 20,000-capacity Huye Stadium in Butare, Rwanda, as no stadiums in Zimbabwe currently meet FIFA standards to host World Cup qualifiers.
For Tella, these qualifiers represent a chance to make his mark with the Super Eagles. Having represented England at youth level, the winger has now opted to play for his parents’ homeland. He will be eager to justify Peseiro’s faith in naming him in the squad.
With a good mix of youth and experience, Nigeria will be targeting maximum points from these opening two qualifiers. Getting their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign off to a strong start will be the priority. The attacking talents of Tella, Awoniyi and Iheanacho could be crucial in helping the Super Eagles achieve this goal, especially in the absence of the recovering Victor Osimhen.
The full squad includes:
GOALKEEPERS
Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus)
Olorunleke Ojo (Enyimba FC)
Maduka Okoye (Udinese Calcio, Italy)
DEFENDERS
Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England)
Chidozie Awaziem (Boavista FC, Portugal)
Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce FC, Turkey)
Bruno Onyemaechi (Boavista FC, Portugal)
Kenneth Omeruo (Kasimpasa FC, Turkey)
Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England)
Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England)
Jamilu Collins (Cardiff FC, Wales)
MIDFIELDERS
Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium)
Joe Ayodele-Aribo (Southampton FC, England)
Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England)
Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England)
FORWARDS
Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England)
Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad, Spain)
Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France)
Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy);
Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)
Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest, England)
Terem Moffi (OGC Nice, France)
Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
