Why Victor Osimhen Was Not Invited for the Unity Cup

Super Eagles head coach, Eric Sekou Chelle, has explained why top players like Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman were not invited for the upcoming Unity Cup match against Ghana.

The friendly match will take place on 28 May at the Gtech Community Stadium in London. Instead of calling up some of Nigeria’s biggest stars, Chelle chose to focus on testing new players and building a fresh team identity.

Speaking in an interview with the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the coach said he deliberately left out some key names to give others a chance to prove themselves.

“We have a lot of players in Nigeria, so we need to give chances to them so they can show us their quality,” Chelle said.

He added that the Unity Cup is the perfect opportunity to try out new tactics and evaluate players ahead of more important games later this year, especially the World Cup qualifiers in September.

Chelle included 10 players from the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) in the squad, and also handed veteran forward Ahmed Musa another opportunity to impress.

“I went to Nigeria, watched league games, and analysed the players. I believe they have quality and deserve a chance. I’m sure they will bring energy, intensity, and commitment,” he explained.

Chelle stressed that the decision to drop stars like Osimhen and Lookman was not personal, but part of a long-term plan to build a strong and competitive team.

“We have a project. We want to create an identity. We need players who can learn quickly and fit into the team,” he said.

He also praised Ahmed Musa’s leadership, noting that the experienced forward still has something to offer if he performs well.

After the Unity Cup clash with Ghana, the Super Eagles will take on Russia in another friendly match in early June.