Allnigeriasoccer.com can exclusively report that Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has unveiled his starting lineup for Saturday evening’s 2026 World Cup qualifying clash against Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium.

The big news sees  Al-Kholood centre-back William Troost-Ekong excluded from the starting XI, while an assistant skipper takes over the captaincy.

Leicester City alumnus Wilfred Ndidi will lead the Super Eagles onto the pitch for the matchday seven fixture. 

This marks another occasion the 28-year-old midfielder has captained Nigeria, having previously worn the armband in matches against Guinea-Bissau, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Ghana, South Africa, and Benin.

Ndidi, who recently joined Besiktas after ending an eight-year spell at Leicester City, has also captained his former club in select matches. 

Since making his senior international debut in a friendly against the Democratic Republic of Congo, he has amassed 65 caps for the national team.

The defensive midfielder featured in the Super Eagles squads for the 2019 and 2021 Africa Cup of Nations but withdrew from the 2023 tournament due to injury. 

Notably, he played every minute of Nigeria’s campaign at the 2018 Fifa World Cup in Russia.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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