Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has left out the duo of Kelechi Iheanacho and Tolu Arokodare from Nigeria’s squad for the upcoming Unity Cup tournament in London.
Iheanacho had been strongly considered for a return to the national team following an impressive resurgence in form at Scottish side Celtic, where he has scored four goals in his last three matches. However, Chelle opted against recalling the forward as he continues to reshape his squad ahead of future competitions.
Instead, the coach handed opportunities to emerging attackers Owen Oseni of Plymouth and Rafiu Durosinmi, who currently plays for Italian side Pisa.
Arokodare was also overlooked despite recent appearances for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the English Premier League. Chelle preferred to recall Terem Moffi, who recently won the Portuguese league title during his loan spell with FC Porto.
The attacking line for the Unity Cup is expected to be led by Moffi alongside Oseni and Durosinmi, with Femi Azeez also included among the forwards.
Moffi is expected to spearhead the Eagles’ attack in the absence of Victor Osimhen. The striker missed Nigeria’s AFCON squad earlier due to inactivity following his departure from Nice after reported issues with supporters of the French club.
Oseni’s inclusion has emerged as one of the surprises in the squad selection, but sources close to the team revealed that Chelle has been impressed by the forward’s work rate, pressing ability, movement and aggressive style of play, in addition to his goal return this season.
Durosinmi, meanwhile, has remained on Chelle’s radar for some time despite struggling for consistency since joining Pisa in January. The striker had earlier made Nigeria’s provisional squad for the Africa Cup of Nations before missing out on the final list.
Nigeria will begin the defence of their Unity Cup title against Zimbabwe, with victory setting up a potential final clash against either India or Jamaica.
Chelle has repeatedly stated that the tournament will serve as an avenue to test new players and assess fringe talents, including prospects from the Nigeria Premier Football League, as he continues to build his preferred squad ahead of major international assignments.
