Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle will be without several key players for the June international friendlies against Poland and Portugal. The matches are scheduled to take place in Warsaw, Poland, at the PGE Narodowy Stadium.
Chelle Confirms Absences
According to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Chelle arrived in Warsaw and conducted the first training session with only 18 players out of the initial 24 invited. Star forwards Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman are the most notable absentees.
“Concerning Victor Osimhen, he is an important player for Nigeria and Galatasaray. This period is off-season, when a lot of things happen off the pitch, and we must respect certain decisions that are not in our hands,” Chelle said via the Super Eagles X page.
“Ademola Lookman won’t be available for personal reasons; Femi Azeez had a decent outing at the Unity Cup, but his club will not release him for the remaining matches. Alhassan Yusuf and Samson Tijani do not have entry visas, while Ebenezer Akinsanmiro is unwell.”
There is also no confirmation on the status of Fulham duo Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey, as they were not included among the players in the Warsaw camp.
Building a Winning Mentality
Despite the setbacks, Chelle remains focused on building a winning mentality within the squad. “The upcoming matches are friendlies, and I will approach every game with seriousness using the players available,” he said.
“There is a culture of winning that we are trying to build in this team, and that mentality is important. You can say that it is difficult to have games at this time because the players have been in holiday mood for about two weeks, but the job must be done.
“We have 18 players in camp now, and we will work with that. Everybody must work hard, and we will go into the match with the determination to win.”
Osimhen Clarifies Chelle’s Statement
Legit.ng previously reported that Victor Osimhen released a statement clarifying Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle’s comments about his absence. The Galatasaray striker claimed that his manager’s remarks were misconstrued and urged fans to disregard any attempts to spin the narrative against his intentions.
The Super Eagles recently won the 2026 Unity Cup in London with a squad dominated by home-based and foreign-born players. However, the core team, including Wilfred Ndidi and Akor Adams, has assembled for the upcoming friendlies.
The match against Poland is set for June at the 58,000-capacity PGE Narodowy Stadium, kicking off at 7:45 PM Nigerian time.
