Super Eagles Head Coach Eric Chelle has announced a 25-man squad for the upcoming Unity Cup Tournament in London, with prominent selections including Moses Simon, Wilfred Ndidi, Stanley Nwabali and team veteran Ahmed Musa.

Chelle, who has also picked 21 players for an international friendly against Russia, said the Unity Cup would serve as an opportunity to assess fresh talent and solidify Nigeria’s squad ahead of upcoming international fixtures.

“We’re looking forward to taking part in the Unity Cup as it will give us the chance to try out a few new players in different roles, helping us to strengthen our squad before the matches in September and October,” Chelle said.

The Unity Cup, which will be held at the Gtech Community Stadium in Brentford, West London, features Nigeria, Ghana, Jamaica, and Trinidad & Tobago. The semi-finals will begin on Tuesday, 27th May with Trinidad & Tobago facing Jamaica, followed by Nigeria’s highly anticipated clash with arch-rivals Ghana on Wednesday, 28th May. The final and third-place matches will take place on Saturday, 31st May.

Home-based players were given prominent spots in Chelle’s Unity Cup selection. Remo Stars defender and Super Eagles B captain Junior Harrison Nduka headlines the local list, joined by fellow NPFL stars Ifeanyi Onyebuchi, Sodiq Ismaila, Waliu Ojetoye, Saviour Isaac, Collins Ugwueze and Papa Daniel Mustapha.

Defensive regulars such as Semi Ajayi, Bruno Onyemaechi, and Igoh Ogbu were also retained, while midfield duties will be shared among Ndidi, Frank Onyeka, Chrisantus Uche and the NPFL trio.

In attack, Musa will compete with forwards like Adamu Abubakar and Sikiru Alimi for places, while Europe-based stars Samuel Chukwueze, Kelechi Iheanacho, Cyriel Dessers, Nathan Tella, Tolu Arokodare and Simon add depth and firepower.

For the friendly match against Russia on Friday, 6th June at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, Chelle has listed a solid mix of regular internationals and Unity Cup picks. Captain William Ekong, Olaoluwa Aina, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Raphael Onyedika and Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface are among those named.

Both squads reflect a blend of homegrown and international talent aimed at boosting team chemistry and competition for starting spots

Faridah Abdulkadiri

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