Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, has omitted Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman from the squad set to face Ghana in the upcoming Unity Cup.

This development was confirmed on Wednesday afternoon when the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) released the list of selected players.

Both Osimhen and Lookman are also expected to sit out Nigeria’s friendly against Russia.

On a positive note, Maduka Okoye, Frank Onyeka, Kelechi Iheanacho, and team captain Ahmed Musa make their return to the national team.

Among the players selected from the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) are Junior Harrison Nduka—who captains both Remo Stars and the CHAN-bound Super Eagles B—along with Ifeanyi Onyebuchi and Collins Ugwueze from Enugu Rangers, Sodiq Ismail (Remo Stars), and Waliu Ojetoye (Ikorodu City).

Other home-based inclusions are Saviour Isaac (Enugu Rangers), Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes), Sikiru Alimi (Remo Stars), and Adamu Abubakar (Plateau United).

These domestic talents will compete for places against experienced internationals such as Moses Simon, Stanley Nwabali, Wilfred Ndidi, Samuel Chukwueze, Cyriel Dessers, Nathan Tella, Tolu Arokodare, and Kelechi Iheanacho.

Captain Ahmed Musa will lead the squad in the Unity Cup, scheduled from May 26 to 31, featuring Nigeria, Ghana, Jamaica, and Trinidad & Tobago.

Following the tournament, Nigeria will travel to Moscow for an international friendly against Russia on June 6 at the Luzhniki Stadium—marking the first-ever senior-level meeting between the two nations.

Coach Chelle emphasized that the Unity Cup presents an ideal opportunity to evaluate new players and tactics in preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, stating, “The tournament allows us to experiment with different roles and strengthen the team ahead of our qualifiers in September and October.”