Injury rules out Nathan Tella from Eagles squad for World Cup qualifiers

Nathan Tella has been withdrawn from the Super Eagles squad for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers later this month.

The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) announced Tella’s unavailability in a tweet on the team’s X page on Thursday.

Although the nature of Tella’s injury was not revealed, the federation wished the player a quick recovery.

The Bayer Leverkusen winger switched allegiance from England to Nigeria in 2023. He was named in the Eagles squad for the first two games of the 2026 World Cup qualifier against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.

However, he was overlooked in subsequent selections, prompting the player to vow to “work harder” to make future Eagles’ lists.

Tella would be replaced by Jordan Torunarigha, a defender with Genk in the Belgian league, in the Eagles squad.

Torunarigha has just one appearance for the Super Eagles. He featured in the 3-2 friendly win over Mozambique in 2024.

The Super Eagles will take on Rwanda in Kigali on March 21 before playing Zimbabwe at the Godswill Akpabio stadium in Uyo four days later.

Nigeria remain winless after four games in the World Cup qualifier. The Eagles have lost one and drawn three and are fifth in Group C of the qualifier.

The team must ensure impeccable performances in their remaining matches to revive their chance of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in the US.