Samuel James: 7 things Super Eagles fans should know about Nigeria’s new goalkeeper

Samuel James has received his first senior Super Eagles invitation after coach Éric Chelle included him in Nigeria’s squad for the October 6 friendly against Russia, Afrik-Foot reports.

The 20-year-old goalkeeper has spent the last two seasons developing his career in Finland after leaving Nigerian club Mavlon FC. He is now getting his first chance to train with Nigeria’s senior team alongside Stanley Nwabali and other established internationals.

Here are seven things Super Eagles fans should know about the young goalkeeper.

Samuel James is 20 years old

Samuel James was born on April 5, 2006, and is 20 years old.

He stands at 1.95 metres tall and weighs 92kg, giving him a strong physical frame for a goalkeeper. James is also right-footed and wears No. 60 for SJK.

His age makes the senior invitation another step in a career that has already taken him from Nigerian youth football to Europe.

Samuel James plays for SJK in Finland

James is contracted to SJK, a Finnish club based in Seinäjoki.

He joined SJK Akatemia from Mavlon FC in March 2025 before moving into the senior SJK squad in January 2026. His current SJK contract runs until December 31, 2026.

Most of his competitive football in 2026 has come with SJK Akatemia in Finland’s second-tier Ykkösliiga.

He has made 19 Ykkösliiga appearances and played 1,710 minutes, conceding 31 goals and keeping four clean sheets.

Interestingly, Samuel James is yet to establish himself as the SJK’s regular first-team goalkeeper in Finland’s top division, the Veikkausliiga.

His journey started at Mavlon FC

James began his senior development with Mavlon FC in Nigeria before moving to Finland.

He joined Mavlon at a young age and gained international tournament experience with the Lagos-based club, including appearances at the prestigious Viareggio tournament in Italy.

Before moving to Finland, James also trained with English club Charlton Athletic in London.

SJK completed his move to Finland in March 2025 on a two-year contract with an option for two more years.

His path has therefore taken him from Nigerian youth football to England for a trial period and then into the Finnish professional system.

Samuel Friday James, fiziksel ve teknik potansiyeliyle Avrupa’nın üst düzey liglerine uyum sağlayabilecek bir kaleci. Finlandiya 2. Ligi’nde oynasa da, Nijerya U20 düzeyindeki tecrübesi ve gösterdiği gelişim, yakında üst seviyelere ulaşacağını düşünüyorum. pic.twitter.com/G9Ag95xSot pic.twitter.com/XpVMaTrmqQ

— xGalAnalysis🇮🇹🇩🇰🇸🇪🇫🇮 (@GalaScout1ng) July 6, 2025

He has already played for Nigeria

James is not completely new to the national-team environment. The young goalie previously represented Nigeria at U20 level and made his Flying Eagles debut on March 7, 2024, under coach Ladan Bosso.

His invitation to the Super Eagles therefore represents a move from Nigeria’s youth setup to the senior national team.

Samuel James is known for his work with the ball

SJK goalkeeper coach Luis Fernando identified James’ ability with the ball at his feet as one of his main strengths when the club signed him.

Fernando also described the young goalkeeper as calm in his actions while praising his reaction speed when needed.

James’ 2026 Ykkösliiga statistics also show that he has been involved in his team’s passing game.

He completed 239 of 300 recorded passes in the competition, giving him a 79.67 per cent completion rate, while he also registered one assist.

Those figures provide some evidence for SJK’s assessment that James is comfortable using his feet rather than relying only on traditional goalkeeping actions.

Éric Chelle picked him for the Russia friendly

Chelle named separate squads for Nigeria’s September AFCON 2027 qualifiers and the later Russia friendly.

Arthur Okonkwo, Maduka Okoye and Stanley Nwabali were selected as the goalkeepers for the qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau in late September.

James was instead included alongside Chibuzor Atata and Nwabali in the squad for the October 6 meeting with Russia.

The selection gives Chelle an opportunity to look at another goalkeeper outside the three-man group chosen for the competitive qualifiers.

It also gives James his first senior-team camp experience at a time when Chelle is assessing a wider pool of Nigerian players.

Russia could be his first senior international stage

James has not yet made his senior Nigeria debut, so the Russia friendly could become an important first opportunity if Chelle decides to use him.

The match will take place after Nigeria’s two September AFCON qualifiers, giving the goalkeeper a chance to work with the senior team in a less competitive setting.

He will also train alongside Nwabali, the established Super Eagles goalkeeper included in both squads, as well as Atata, another player receiving a senior opportunity.

James’ immediate target will be to use the Russia camp to show Chelle what he can offer at senior international level. At 20, his Super Eagles invitation gives Nigeria another young goalkeeping option as Chelle continues to expand his player pool.