Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion are reportedly reluctant to release Nigerian youngster Zadok Yohanna for international duty with the country’s U-23 team ahead of their crucial Olympic qualifying fixtures against DR Congo.
Sports247 reports that the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is still awaiting a response from Brighton after sending an official invitation for the 19-year-old winger to join the squad.
Yohanna has been invited for Nigeria’s two-legged encounter against DR Congo in the qualifying campaign for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The winner will advance to the final round of the qualifiers.
However, Brighton are reportedly unwilling to release the youngster because he has only recently returned to training following an extended injury lay-off.
The English club is believed to consider him not yet ready for international football, preferring that he remains in England to rebuild his match fitness through appearances for the club’s youth team.
Despite the club’s reservations, Yohanna is reportedly eager to represent Nigeria and has communicated his desire to join the U-23 squad to his representative. He is hopeful that an agreement can be reached between Brighton and the NFF.
The situation comes after the youngster missed previous opportunities to represent Nigeria at international level.
Yohanna joined Brighton from Swedish side AIK Stockholm in June 2026, signing a five-year contract that runs until June 2031.
During his time in Sweden, the Nigerian attacker impressed with five goals and four assists in 18 appearances across league and cup competitions.
Brighton head coach Fabian Hürzeler previously described him as an exciting attacking prospect, highlighting his pace, creativity and ability to take on defenders in the final third.
However, injuries have disrupted his early progress in English football. Premium Times reported on October 30 that Yohanna had returned to training after missing 11 consecutive matches. His last appearance for Brighton came against Norwegian side Tromsø in the UEFA Conference League qualifiers.
Hürzeler also confirmed his return to the training ground but did not provide a definite timeline for his return to competitive action.
Nigeria are seeking a return to the men’s football event at the Olympic Games for the first time since 2016, when the country won bronze at Rio de Janeiro.
With Brighton yet to respond to the NFF’s invitation, Nigeria will be hoping both parties can reach an agreement to make the promising winger available for the decisive encounters against DR Congo.
