BY GODWIN PAUL SUNDAY
Head Coach Eric Chelle has selected rave-of-the-moment in France, Moses Simon, goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and forward Ahmed Musa among a total of 25 Super Eagles who will execute this month-end’s Unity Cup Tournament in London.
Chelle, who admitted that “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,” has included a number of standout Nigeria Premier Football League players in the Unity Cup houseparty.
Junior Harrison Nduka, captain of the CHAN-bound Super Eagles B and of champions Remo Stars, will seek a slot in the defence that also has Semi Ajayi, Bruno Onyemaechi, Igoh Ogbu and fellow home-boys Ifeanyi Onyebuchi, Sodiq Ismaila and Waliu Ojetoye, while Papa Daniel Mustapha, Saviour Isaac and Collins Ugwueze will have to contend with Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka and Chrisantus Uche in midfield.
At the fore, Ahmed Musa, Adamu Abubakar and Sikiru Alimi are up against Samuel Chukwueze, Moses Simon, Cyriel Dessers, Nathan Tella, Tolu Arokodare and Kelechi Iheanacho.
The Unity Cup Tournament, involving Nigeria, Jamaica, Ghana and Trinidad and Tobago, will be staged at the 17,250-capacity Gtech Community Stadium in Brentford, West London. The tournament will kick off with the first semi-final on Tuesday, 27th May as Trinidad & Tobago tackle Jamaica in the first-ever ‘Trini-Jam’ on UK soil. The following day, three-time African champions Nigeria will take on four-time African champions Ghana in the second semi-final, which will come with all the intrigues and variables of a 74-year rivalry between the two continental giants.
All four teams will return on Saturday, 31st May for the grand finale, with the losers of the semi-final fixtures featuring in the third-place game, before the Final to determine The Unity Cup 2025 champions.
For the friendly with Russia’s senior men team at the Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow on Friday, 6th June, Chelle has picked a total of 21 players, with captain William Ekong, fellow defenders Olaoluwa Aina and Bright Osayi-Samuel, midfielders Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Raphael Onyedika, and forwards Victor Boniface and Sadiq Umar joining a number of picks from the Unity Cup cohort.
SUPER EAGLES FOR UNITY CUP TOURNAMENT:
Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania)
Defenders: Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiacos FC, Greece); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Igoh Ogbu (SK Slavia Prague, Czech Republic); Junior Harrison Nduka (Remo Stars); Ifeanyi Onyebuchi (Enugu Rangers); Sodiq Ismaila (Remo Stars); Waliu Ojetoye (Ikorodu City)
Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Frank Onyeka (Augsburg FC, Germany); Saviour Isaac (Enugu Rangers); Chrisantus Uche (Getafe CF, Spain); Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes); Collins Ugwueze (Enugu Rangers)
Forwards: Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Middlesbrough FC, England); Simon Moses (FC Nantes, France); Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Cyriel Dessers (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Sikiru Alimi (Remo Stars); Tolu Arokodare (KRC Genk, Belgium); Ahmed Musa (Kano Pillars); Adamu Abubakar (Plateau United)
Available for training only: Felix Agu (Werder Bremen, Germany)
SUPER EAGLES FOR RUSSIA FRIENDLY:
Goalkeepers: Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania)
Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood FC, Saudi Arabia); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce SK, Turkey); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiacos FC, Greece); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Igoh Ogbu (SK Slavia Prague, Czech Republic)
Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Frank Onyeka (Augsburg FC, Germany); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Lazio FC, Italy); Chrisantus Uche (Getafe CF, Spain); Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes)
Forwards: Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Middlesbrough FC, England); Simon Moses (FC Nantes, France); Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Tolu Arokodare (KRC Genk, Belgium); Sadiq Umar (Valencia CF, Spain)
PHOTO: Super Eagles in group picture before a FIFA World Cup qualifier in Kigali two months ago
