Why are Osimhen and Lookman not in Nigeria's Unity Cup squad? Eric Chelle explains

Photo Credit - NFF Media.

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has explained his decision to leave several key players out of the squad for this month’s Unity Cup Tournament in London.

Chelle named captain Ahmed Musa, Moses Simon, Stanley Nwabali, and Wilfred Ndidi in the Super Eagles' 25-man squad, but key players, including Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen, were left out.

Ahmed Musa will lead the squad of nine home-based players to the Unity Cup.

The Malian emphasised that the tournament will serve as a valuable opportunity to experiment with new players and strategies.

Speaking to the Nigeria Football Federation Communications (NFF Comms), Chelle said: “We’re looking forward to taking part in the Unity Cup as it will give us the chance to try out a few new players in different roles. It will help us strengthen our squad before the matches in September and October.”

However, various sources believe that some of the Super Eagles' most prominent players, like Osimhen and Lookman, will want to use the summer to decide their futures.

Osimhen’s loan deal at Galatasaray is up next month, and it is widely expected that his Napoli exit is imminent. Lookman will also be hoping to make a major transfer after a successful season with Atalanta in Italy.

It has been reported that Fulham stars and close friends Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey already had personal engagements that clash with the matches and requested to be excluded from the squad.

The Unity Cup, scheduled to be held later this month, will feature a mix of home-based players. Following the tournament, they will take on Russia in a first-ever meeting at full international level on June 6 in Moscow.