The camp of the senior national team of Nigeria will officially open on Sunday ahead of the 2026 world cup qualifiers games against South Africa and Benin Republic respectively, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

As many as 15 of the invited players are expected to be at the camp of the team following the conclusion of club duties over the weekend, but Ademola Lookman who stole the headline in the Europa League final won’t be in the camp.

Atalanta wants the hattrick hero in their 3-0 Europa League final win over Bayer Leverkusen to delay his arrival till probably Tuesday in order for him to play their outstanding Serie A game against Fiorentina on Sunday.

His delayed arrival has been communicated to the technical crew of the team, and plans for the games will go on without him despite the fact that he has a key role to play in the game.

Also the team will now camp in Uyo and not Abuja as suggested by the coach but vetoed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). Lookman, Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Nathan Tella and Victor Boniface will all get a guard of honor from their teammates over their trophy success in the just concluded season.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

French Ligue 1 side Lyon will begin the process of rebuilding their squad ahead of next season after a not too impressive performance last season, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

The club were hit with a transfer ban denying them the chance to improve their squad last season and it affected their season until January, when they were allowed to bolster certain areas.

They moved away from the relegation zone and ended the season in 6th after a powerful run of form at the turn of the year. Plans for next season has already started in earnest with targets already identified in key areas of the team.

One player who is high on their radar is 27 year old Nigeria international Wilfred Ndidi, who will be a free agent this summer following the expiration of his deal with Leicester City, who are back in the English Premier League following relegation last season.

Foot Mercato says the seven times Ligue 1 champions have already advanced talks with the midfielder as they attempt to beat all comers for his signing.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The chances of Samuel Chukwueze representing Nigeria when they play in the 2026 world cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic is looking very slim, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Chukwueze hasn’t played for Italian Serie A side AC Milan for a month but was somehow named in the 25 man team for the games by newly appointed coach Finidi George.

AC Milan are presently in Australia for an off season friendly game against fellow Serie A side Roma, and the Nigerian wasn’t included in the team that travelled yesterday, a further confirmation that he isn’t fit enough to be involved casting doubts over his availability for Nigeria.

We can exclusively report that the 25 year old was optimistic that he will be fit and ready for the game hence his inclusion by Finidi, who spoke with him before taking a final decision on including him in the team.

A replacement from what we gathered is currently been mooted ahead of the games on the 7th against South Africa and four days later against Benin Republic. Both games the team need to win in order to get their campaign back on track after back to back draws in their first two games.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The push for the rave of the moment Ademola Lookman to be named the new Africa player of the year has entered second gear with players of the senior national team of Nigeria joining the campaign, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Lookman stole the show in the Europa League final with a hattrick to power Atalanta to a 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen for only the second trophy of their history. The defeat was the first for the Germans since the start of the season in all competitions.

He followed it up with another goal yesterday in the Serie A in their 3-0 win over Torino to end the season with 15 goals. This is on the back of his performance for Nigeria at the AFCON where he was the team’s top scorer with four goals.

Nigeria lost the AFCON final 1-2 to the host Cote d’Ivoire with Lookman stealing the show as the star of the Nigerian team. His form has brought about the push for him to be named the new Africa player of the year, an award that is currently held by his international teammate Victor Osimhen.

Captain of the Super Eagles William Troost-Ekong started the campaign immediately after the Europa League final game and was backed by his vice Kenneth Omeruo. Since then a total of five other players of the team in Alex Iwobi, Calvin Bassey, Joe Aribo, Semi Ajayi and Frank Onyeka have joined the campaign on social media.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The reason behind the omission of on loan Arsenal goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo from the Super Eagles squad for the world cup qualifiers games against South Africa and Benin Republic respectively has been made known to OwnGoalNigeria.com.

Okonkwo caught the eyes during his loan spell with English League Two side Wrexham as he picked up 14 clean sheets to power them to promotion to the League One. He was voted the team’s beat player last season and also won the award of the best goalkeeper in the English third tier.

With his deal at Arsenal set to expire in the summer and no talks over an extension the 22 year old has already said his goodbye to the team he joined at the age of 14. His next destination is yet to be known just like his international future.

Eligible for Nigeria and England but yet to be capped by any of the countries at any level, he was said to have completed a switch of nationality to Nigeria, but he denied the report it hence the decision to leave him out of the squad.

The new coach of the Super Eagles is a huge admirer of Okonkwo but won’t rush him into making a decision on his international future after his claims that he is undecided. “I’m still really ambitious to play at the international level. I can still play for England or Nigeria, and I’ve not made a choice yet,” he told The Mirror.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The list of players who will represent the senior national team of Nigeria in the upcoming world cup qualifiers games was made public last week by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

A total of 25 players were picked by new coach of the team Finidi George in his first official squad for the crucial games. The players were picked from the provisional list of 35 players who were given preliminary invitation.

Despite the non inclusion of the duo of William Troost-Ekong and Kenneth Omeruo due to injury and fitness concerns, the coach didn’t look the way of Leon Balogun who has been consistent for Scottish side Rangers over the past one month.

35 year old Balogun has played in 12 games this season, and insist he is still open to adding to his 49 caps for Nigeria if he is called up. He expressed his disappointment on missing out of the team for the last AFCON and now the 2026 world cup qualifiers.

“I never said that I’m not open for invitations. So when I signed for QPR last season, I was really, really unfortunate with untimely injuries at that point. So there was one thing in the first call-up around September I had just moved to Queens Park Rangers, and obviously I had a delayed start into the season”, Balogun said

‘So it wasn’t something serious, but it was better for me to stay away and that was communicated with the coach then, Jose Peseiro, and then after that, during the World Cup break and everything following, it’s just one injury that kept lingering on, which then ruled me out unfortunately.

” But I never said to anyone that I’m not available for call-ups anymore. I was actually a bit disappointed not even to be considered in the end for the 2023 AFCON, because I thought in the two months leading up to it, I had a very, very good run of games, was in form.

” But yeah, I mean, there’s speculations around things I don’t really know if it’s the truth or if it isn’t, but that’s also not my job. I can only put up or put my performances out there and I’m still very much keen on representing Nigeria, but I can only do so much. If the invitation comes, I will always honor it but if it isn’t, then there’s other things I have to think about.”

Speaking on his chances of getting into the team under the new coach, the former Brighton and Hove Albion defender says he can’t pass any judgment on the new man at the helm, because they only met when he was the assistant to former coach Jose Peseiro.

“It’s hard for me to say. I’ve met Finidi George as the assistant, but he was very composed, like in an observant role, more on the quiet part of things, and then he would sometimes grab players. So from that side, that was good.

But I don’t really know his coaching staff. So I don’t think I’m in a position where I could even give any judgment. But I think it’s always good to have players who have been in the game, who had success in their career, which he’s a perfect example of, if you have them, and then also becoming the coach of the national team”.

Ade Emmanuel

The list of players who will represent the senior national team of Nigeria in the world cup qualifiers games against South Africa and Benin Republic was made public by the coach of the team Finidi George.

A total of 25 players were called up from the provisional list of 35 players who were sent invitations for the game. However there are doubts over the fitness of five players in the team, including top striker Victor Osimhen.

Osimhen was only fit enough as a substitute for Napoli in their final game of the season against Lecce. He has missed the last two games of the team with a muscular injury.

His case is even better than that of trio of Kelechi Iheanacho, Frank Onyeka and Samuel Chukwueze who have been inactive for a period not less than one month for their respective teams.

Onyeka has played a total of 17 minutes since the 30th of March and wasn’t even listed by Brentford in their final two games of the season. Chukwueze hasn’t played for AC Milan since the 11th of May, the case of Iheanacho is even worse as he has only managed a total of 57 minutes for Leicester City since returning from the AFCON in February.

It is safe to say the above mentioned players will be match rusty for the games, leaving the newly appointed fitness trainer Chima Onyeike with the task of bringing them up to speed for both games.

Onyeike was born in Zeist, Netherlands in 1975 to a Nigerian father and he played in the Dutch League.Onyeike pursued a sports science degree, a decision that fueled his transition from being a player to a fitness coach.

Picked as one of his assistants by new coach Finidi George, his first major task will be the fitness of the above mentioned players for the crunch games, which are pivotal to the chances of Nigeria making it to the 2026 world cup.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The newly appointed coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Finidi George says it’s not his duty to convince players born abroad or those who have represented other countries at youth levels to switch nationality to the team, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Finidi made this known while responding to questions during his media tour, when he was asked about how he will go about convincing players like Michael Olise of Crystal Palace who is eligible for Nigeria, France and England to pick Super Eagles.

“There are some procedures that have to be done. You don’t just see a Nigerian playing in one of these clubs and say let him come, it doesn’t work that way.

“There’s paperwork, procedures, you have to speak to these players, and that is not my job. We have people at the NFF that have been doing that in the past and in the future, they will do that.

“Our job is to watch, and when we see a good player, the people that know the job properly and whose department it is, they will make that happen. If we see a player we know can help, we can bring on board, we will do that. We recommend, and the rest the NFF will take care of,” he told the media at Eko Hotels and Suites.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The list of players called up to the senior national team of Nigeria for the 2026 world cup qualifiers games against South Africa and Benin Republic was made public by the coach of the team Finidi George yesterday.

A total of 25 players were picked from the 35 players who were sent preliminary invitation for both games, but one notable omission noticed by all is Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina.

Aina had a spectacular showing at the AFCON, where Nigeria went all the way to the final before losing 1-2 to the host Cote d’Ivoire. Finidi was the assistant to then coach Jose Peseiro, hence his decision to leave out the defender has raised a lot of concerns.

Remo Stars right back Sadiq Ismael was picked in his place for both games, which are very crucial to the chances of the team qualifying for the world cup as they are presently third in their group behind leaders Rwanda and second place South Africa.

” I believe the coach will explain the situation better but Aina is presently injured, the player told the technical crew that he wants to focus on his recovery. That is why he is not in the team, you can go and check he said two weeks ago or so that he is using pain killers to play which is very delicate”, a source close to the coach told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

” Sadiq has been monitored extensively before this call up came. Hopefully he will make the best of this opportunity to learn and grow”.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Nigeria’s Head Coach, Finidi George, has picked rave-of-the-moment Ademola Lookman, African Player of the Year Victor Osimhen and safe hands Stanley Nwabali among a crop of 23 players who will do battle with South Africa’s Bafana Bafana and the Cheetahs of Benin Republic in upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.

George also selected goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, England-based defenders Calvin Bassey and Semi Ajayi, midfielders Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi and Alhassan Yusuf, and forwards Kelechi Iheanacho, Victor Boniface and Terem Moffi.

Remo Stars’ hard-as-nails defender Sadiq Ismael is called for the first time, with Turkey-based midfielder Fisayo Bashiru, Bayer Leverkusen of Germany’s Nathan Tella and lanky forward Paul Onuachu also called.

Nigeria confront South Africa at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo on Friday, 7th June starting from 8pm, and then fly to Abidjan to tackle Benin Republic at the Stade Felix Houphouet-Boigny on Monday, 10th June starting from 4pm CIV time (5pm Nigeria time).

EAGLES FOR BAFANA, CHEETAHS BATTLES

Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Ojo Olorunleke (Enyimba FC)

Defenders: Chidozie Awaziem (Boavista FC, Portugal); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce FC, Turkey); Sadiq Ismael (Remo Stars FC); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Benjamin Tanimu (Ihefu SC, Tanzania)

Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Alhassan Yusuf Abdullahi (Royal Antwerp FC, Belgium); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Hatayspor, Turkey)

Forwards: Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Victor Osimhen (SSC Napoli, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Paul Onuachu (Trabzonspor FC, Turkey); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Terem Moffi (OGC Nice, France)