Why Osimhen, Lookman, Bassey, Ndidi will not make Super Eagles squad for Unity Cup

Nigeria will head to London later this month to defend their Unity Cup crown, but the Super Eagles are expected to do so without several of their biggest star, Afrik-Foot reports.

Some of Nigeria’s elite stars including Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Wilfred Ndidi and Calvin Bassey will not be invited by head coach Eric Chelle for the invitational tournament.

The four-nation tournament will take place from May 26 to May 30 at The Valley, the home ground of Charlton Athletic. Defending champions Nigeria will face Zimbabwe in the semi-final on May 26 before the second semi-final between Jamaica and India a day later.

However, Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle is planning to use the competition to assess fringe players, home-based stars and newcomers rather than rely on his established first-team regulars.

Several factors influenced the decision. The biggest is timing. Osimhen’s season in Turkey with Galatasaray is scheduled to end on June 1, only two days after the Unity Cup final. The striker has already played a heavy number of matches this season across the Turkish Super Lig, domestic cup competitions and European football.

Lookman also endured another demanding campaign with Atlético Madrid in La Liga, while Ndidi spent most of the season battling through a difficult Super Lig campaign with Benfica. Bassey, meanwhile, helped Fulham through a physically intense season in England.

The coaching crew believe the tournament offers an ideal opportunity to rest those players and give a run out to fringe stars before Nigeria’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches later this year.

Super Eagles: Fresh faces expected as Chelle rebuilds depth

Chelle is keen to expand competition within the squad after Nigeria’s inconsistent start to their World Cup qualifying campaign. The former Mali coach is expected to include around 10 players from the Nigeria Premier Football League alongside foreign-based talents who are still trying to establish themselves internationally.

Names already linked with invitations include Ikorodu City trio of goalkeeper Michael Atata, versatile midfielder Tosin Oyedokun, and forward Joseph Arumala. Reports indicate Plymouth Argyle forward Owen Oseni has already received his first-ever call-up letter.

Sweden-based youngster Zadok Yohanna and Millwall winger Femi Azeez are also being monitored closely.

With Osimhen unavailable, Porto striker Terem Moffi is expected to lead the attack if fit, while midfielders such as Alhassan Yusuf, Anthony Dennis and Chrisantus Uche could get valuable minutes.

In defence, Chelle may turn to players like Emmanuel Fernandez, Chibuike Nwaiwu, Chidozie Awaziem, Gabriel Osho and Igoh Ogbu as he searches for reliable combinations ahead of more competitive fixtures.

Beyond football, the Unity Cup has also become an important cultural event for African and Caribbean communities in the United Kingdom.

Still, the biggest objective for Nigeria may not simply be lifting another trophy in London. Instead, it could be discovering the next generation of Super Eagles players capable of supporting, and eventually succeeding, the stars being rested this summer.