Super Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa, has earned a recall to the national team for Nigeria’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe, marking his return after years of absence.

The list was released on Tuesday by the Nigeria Football Federation.

Musa, who last featured for the Super Eagles before their silver-winning campaign at the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, headlines the provisional squad released by newly appointed head coach, Eric Chelle.

Also making the list is in-form Genk striker, Tolu Arokodare, who has been in blistering form in the Belgian Jupiler League, netting 15 goals this season.

Arokodare is one of four fresh faces in Chelle’s squad, alongside Anthony Dennis (FC Göztepe), Papa Daniel Mustapha (formerly of Niger Tornadoes), and Slavia Prague’s Igoh Ogbu.

The squad also sees the return of Remo Stars goalkeeper, Kayode Bankole, and Southampton forward, Paul Onuachu, as Nigeria looks to revive its qualification hopes.

The Super Eagles, currently fifth in Group C, will take on Rwanda in Kigali on March 21 before hosting Zimbabwe in Uyo on March 25.

SEE FULL LIST HERE:

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania); Adeleye Adebayo (Enosis Paralimni, Cyprus); Kayode Bankole (Remo Stars)

Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood FC, Saudi Arabia); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce SK, Turkey); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiacos FC, Greece); Gabriel Osho (AJ Auxerre, France); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Igoh Ogbu (SK Slavia Prague, Czech Republic); Jordan Torunarigha (Gent FC, Belgium); Ifeanyi Onyebuchi (Rangers International)

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (New England Revolution, USA); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Lazio FC, Italy); Frank Onyeka (Augsburg FC, Germany); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Joseph Ayodele-Aribo (Southampton FC, England); Anthony Dennis (Goztepe SK, Turkey); Chrisantus Uche (Getafe CF, Spain); Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes)

Forwards: Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Victor Osimhen (Galatasaray FC, Turkey); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Middlesbrough FC, England); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Simon Moses (FC Nantes, France); Sadiq Umar (Valencia FC, Spain); Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Cyriel Dessers (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Tolu Arokodare (KRC Genk, Belgium); Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla FC, Spain); Paul Onuachu (Southampton FC, England); Ahmed Musa (Kano Pillars); Jerome Akor Adams (Sevilla FC, Spain)

Arsenal’s talented teenage duo Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri combined on Tuesday to help the Gunners to an imperious 7-1 Champions League last-16 first leg advantage over a shambolic PSV Eindhoven.

The Premiership side were on a different level to the struggling Dutch champions, who were condemned to their worst-ever defeat in European football.

Arsenal dominated from the outset. Declan Rice’s powerful shot into the PSV net on 11 minutes was chalked off for a narrow offside, but it was a taste of what was to come.

Against the run of play, PSV should have taken the lead after a quarter of an hour but Ismael Saibari somehow contrived to hit the bar from close range with the goalkeeper already beaten.

Arsenal made the hosts pay for their profligacy two minutes later. Rice was afforded far too much space in the PSV box, allowing him to chip a cross to the far post, gratefully headed home by Arsenal’s own flying Dutchman, Jurrien Timber.

The Premiership side doubled their lead shortly afterwards following more generous Dutch defending.

Lewis-Skelly, the 18-year-old English defender, found himself in acres of space in a dangerous area, squaring to fellow teenager Nwaneri, who smashed the cross into the top corner.

PSV’s shambolic defending turned to embarrassment as Arsenal made it three after just over half an hour played.

The defence squandered four chances to make an easy clearance, the ball eventually falling to makeshift striker Mikel Merino, who rolled past Walter Benitez.

The shellshocked fans in the Philips Stadion received a glimmer of hope however just before half time, PSV winning a penalty after Thomas Partey needlessly wrapped his arms around striker Luuk de Jong’s head.

Netherlands international winger Noa Lang made no mistake from the spot, smashing the ball into the top corner, giving David Raya no chance.

A lifeline for the Dutch champions, who went into half-time 3-1 down after a breathless first 45 minutes.

Lewis-Skelly meanwhile had been substituted, arguably fortunate to escape a second yellow card after a clumsy challenge on Richard Ledezma.

– Record defeat –

But any hope for the home fans was quickly snuffed out, as Arsenal scored twice in the first three minutes of the second half.

Nwaneri broke impressively down the right, squaring a cross that Benitez could only palm into the path of Martin Odegaard.

By now, it was all too easy for Arsenal. With 49 minutes gone, Riccardo Calafiori eased past the left side of the PSV defence, finding Belgium international striker Leandro Trossard, who lifted his shot effortlessly home.

Odegaard grabbed a second as PSV capitulated, the Norwegian running unchallenged at the defence before firing a shot that Benitez parried lamely into his own net.

Calafiori compounded the misery with a seventh on 86 minutes, beating the previous record for PSV goals conceded in Europe — they lost 6-0 to Saint-Etienne in the 1980 UEFA Cup.

It was a sad evening for the 1987 European Cup champions, whose fans streamed out of the stadium well before the final whistle.

Arsenal in contrast have the luxury of a comfortable lead, with the winner of the tie between Real or Atletico Madrid the next challenge.

Fenerbahçe manager, José Mourinho, has been handed a ban for his comments following their 0-0 draw with Galatasaray last weekend.

After the Istanbul Derby on Sunday, Mourinho criticised the Galatasaray bench for “jumping like monkeys” following an early challenge.

The former Chelsea and Manchester United boss also claimed the match would have been a “disaster” if a Turkish referee had been put in charge instead of Slovenian official Slavko Vinčić.

Galatasaray later issued a strong statement accusing Mourinho of racism and threatening legal action.

In response, Fenerbahçe hit back with a statement of their own, insisting their coach’s comments were “completely taken out of context and an attempt was made to deliberately distort them”.

Now, according to Sky Sports, the Turkish Football Federation has decided to punish Mourinho with a two-game ban for racist comments and a further two-match suspension for offensive remarks made about the fourth official.