Eric Chelle has made two late additions to Nigeria’s Unity Cup squad, bringing the total number of players heading to London to 29, with KRC Genk winger Yira Sor and Shooting Stars defender Tijani Al-Ameen the newest names on the list, Footynaija.com reports.
The additions follow the withdrawal of AIK winger Zadok Yohanna, whose Swedish club opted not to release him for the competition. Sor had already featured under Chelle during the March friendlies against Iran and Jordan in Antalya, making his return a relatively straightforward call.
Al-Ameen, however, arrives as a first-time invitee, becoming the latest NPFL player to earn a place in the national team setup.
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Sor, 25, has been one of the more eye-catching stories in Nigerian football this year. Born in Lagos and developed through the Nigerian academy system before moving to Europe via Baník Ostrava and Slavia Prague, he described his first Super Eagles call-up in March as “a big shock,” admitting he had been watching the team from his living room just two months earlier. His calling card at club level is raw pace.
He hit 39km/h against Gent this season, making him one of the fastest players recorded in European football this term, and Chelle has clearly identified that kind of direct threat as something he wants available in London.
Al-Ameen’s inclusion is the more significant of the two announcements from a domestic football perspective. The Shooting Stars defender has been one of the standout performers in the Nigeria Professional Football League this season and his call-up sends a direct message that Chelle is serious about integrating home-based players into his plans ahead of the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign.
The Super Eagles contingent is set to depart for London on Friday. Nigeria open their Unity Cup campaign against Zimbabwe at The Valley, home of Charlton Athletic, on Tuesday, May 26.
