Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle has confirmed that four Super Eagles players, including star forwards Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, will miss the team’s upcoming friendly matches against Poland and Portugal, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Super Eagles are fresh from their successful Unity Cup campaign in London, where they defeated Jamaica 3-0 in the final to retain the trophy. However, Chelle revealed after the victory that several members of his squad will not be available for the next stage of Nigeria’s June international programme.
Osimhen and Lookman were originally included in the squad list for the European tour, but circumstances outside the national team’s control have ruled them out.
The biggest absentee is Osimhen, who has been allowed to stay behind to focus on personal issues which may not be unconnected with his club future. The Nigeria striker is currently at the centre of transfer discussions involving Turkish champions Galatasaray, and the forward would want to concentrate fully on those negotiations rather than divide his attention between club and country.
Lookman will also miss the friendlies after a demanding season in European football. Atletico Madrid requested that the winger be excused from international duty so he could recover physically after months of intense action across domestic and continental competitions.
Nigeria’s problems do not end there. Fulham winger Samuel Chukwueze has also been excused from the squad following the recent funeral of his mother in Nigeria, leaving Chelle without another experienced attacking option ahead of the two matches.
Super Eagles: Visa problems add to Chelle’s selection headache
The Super Eagles have also lost two midfielders to administrative complications.
Alhassan Yusuf and Samson Tijani will not travel to mainland Europe because they were unable to secure the necessary visas in time. Since the Unity Cup was played in London, both players required additional travel clearance to enter the Schengen area for the fixtures in Poland and Portugal.
Their absence is particularly disappointing for Yusuf, who was one of Nigeria’s standout performers in the Unity Cup final. The New England Revolution midfielder scored twice against Jamaica and appeared set to play a major role in Chelle’s plans for the European tour.
Former Golden Eaglets captain Tijani, who recently earned a return to the national team setup, will also miss the opportunity to build on his comeback.
To strengthen his depleted squad, Chelle has called up Millwall forward Femi Azeez. The attacker impressed during the Unity Cup, scoring both goals in Nigeria’s 2-0 semi-final victory over Zimbabwe.
The coach is now expected to rely heavily on experienced attackers Moses Simon, Paul Onuachu and Akor Adams as the Super Eagles prepare for two difficult tests against European opposition.
Nigeria face Poland on June 3 at the PGE Narodowy Stadium in Warsaw before taking on Portugal on June 10 at the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria. Despite the notable absences, Chelle will hope his reshaped squad can continue the positive momentum generated by their successful Unity Cup campaign.
