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Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle is set to invite as many as 10 promising U23 players, predominantly based in Europe and other foreign leagues, as part of Nigeria’s preparations for the 2028 Olympic football qualifying campaign, BSNSports.com.ng reports.
Chelle, who also doubles as head coach of the U23 national team, plans to use Nigeria’s proposed friendly against Russia on October 6 as an opportunity to assess and build a squad capable of challenging for qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Nigeria are two-time Olympic medalists in men’s football, having won a historic gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games before claiming silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
The Franco-Malian tactician has already drawn up a list of players he wants to assess with the U23s during the Russia friendly, with several young talents currently plying their trade in competitive European and overseas leagues under consideration.
Among the players expected to feature are FC Alverca left-back Isaac James, Saudi Arabia-based striker George Ilenikhena, Sabah winger Christian Nwachukwu and KV Mechelen forward Ayodele Adeshina.
The planned Russia fixture is expected to provide Chelle with a valuable opportunity to assess the players ahead of the U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series, which serves as the pathway to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
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The Super Eagles are also expected to operate with different squads during the upcoming international window, with the senior team set to focus on the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, while the U23 players are expected to form the core of the squad for the Russia friendly.
Chelle is expected back in Nigeria as preparations intensify for the AFCON qualifying assignments, while work continues behind the scenes to identify young Nigerian talents eligible for the U23 setup.
Sources close to the team disclosed that the coach and his technical crew have been monitoring several promising players at clubs across Europe and other leagues, with the aim of assembling a strong pool of players for the Olympic qualifying campaign.
However, Chelle is also expected to maintain a close watch on the domestic scene. The coach is likely to attend selected Nigeria Premier Football League matches in the coming weeks to identify outstanding young players who could earn opportunities with the U23 national team.
The approach is expected to give both overseas-based and NPFL-based talents a pathway into the national team setup as Nigeria begins the long-term process of rebuilding its Olympic team.
