Nigeria’s preparations for next month’s friendly matches against Poland and Portugal have suffered a significant setback after head coach Eric Chelle confirmed that four members of his squad will not make the trip to mainland Europe, Footynaija reports.
Fresh from guiding the Super Eagles to a successful Unity Cup defence in London, where Jamaica were beaten 3-0 in the final, Chelle must now plan without some of his most important players.
Victor Osimhen is among those unavailable. The prolific striker has been granted permission to miss the games because of personal, undisclosed reasons. The Galatasaray forward is at the centre of major transfer conversations, with some of the biggest clubs in Europe interested.
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Ademola Lookman will also stay behind after an exhausting campaign in Europe.
The Super Eagles have also excused Samuel Chukwueze from the squad as the winger continues to spend time with his family after the passing of his mother.
Chelle’s problems have been compounded by travel complications affecting midfield duo Alhassan Yusuf and Samson Tijani. Both players were unable to obtain the necessary visas required to enter the Schengen region after participating in the Unity Cup in England.
The absence of Yusuf is particularly unfortunate after the New England Revolution midfielder starred in the final against Jamaica, scoring twice in one of the best performances of his international career. Tijani, meanwhile, misses another opportunity to establish himself after recently returning to the national-team fold.
To boost his attacking options, Chelle has drafted in Millwall forward Femi Azeez, whose two-goal display against Zimbabwe in the Unity Cup semi-final caught the coach’s attention.
Nigeria face Poland in Warsaw on June 3 before taking on Portugal in Leiria on June 10, with Moses Simon, Paul Onuachu and Akor Adams expected to shoulder much of the attacking responsibility.
