Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle is set to invite as many as 10 promising U23 players as Nigeria begins preparations for the 2028 Olympic football qualifying campaign.
Chelle, who also handles the U23 national team, plans to use Nigeria’s proposed friendly against Russia on October 6 to assess young players and build a strong team for the Olympic qualifiers.
Nigeria have won two Olympic medals in men’s football. The country won gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games and silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Several young players based in Europe, Saudi Arabia and other foreign leagues are reportedly on Chelle’s list.
Among those being considered are FC Alverca left-back Isaac James, Saudi Arabia-based striker George Ilenikhena, Sabah winger Christian Nwachukwu and KV Mechelen forward Ayodele Adeshina.
The Russia friendly could give Chelle the chance to assess the players ahead of the U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series, which serves as the route to the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
The senior Super Eagles are expected to have a separate focus during the same international window, with Nigeria preparing for their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
The U23 players are expected to form the core of the squad for the Russia friendly.
Chelle and his technical team have also been monitoring young Nigerian players across Europe and other leagues as they work towards building a strong pool of players for the Olympic campaign.
The coach is also expected to keep an eye on the domestic league. He could attend selected Nigeria Premier Football League matches in the coming weeks to identify young players who may earn opportunities with the U23 team.
The plan will give both foreign-based and NPFL-based talents a chance to break into the national team setup as Nigeria begins preparations for another Olympic campaign.
