Nigeria-eligible defender Honest Ahanor will have to wait longer for his competitive debut with the Italy U21 national team after remaining an unused substitute in their emphatic 4–0 victory over the North Macedonia U21 national team.
The Atalanta BC centre-back was named in the matchday squad for the 2027 European U21 Championship qualifier held at the Computer Gross Arena on Thursday, but did not get minutes on the pitch.
His absence from action means he is yet to be provisionally cap-tied to Italy, leaving the door open for a potential switch to represent the Super Eagles without requiring clearance from FIFA.
Ahanor was one of four Nigeria-eligible players selected by head coach Silvio Baldini, alongside Luca Koleosho, Jeff Ekhator, and Michael Kayode.
Koleosho and Ekhator were handed starting roles, while Kayode—who plays for Brentford FC—was introduced at the start of the second half.
Italy made a blistering start, taking the lead inside four minutes through Cher Ndour. Luca Lipani nearly doubled the advantage before the break, striking both the post and crossbar, but later made amends early in the second half with Italy’s second goal.
The hosts continued their dominance, with Ekhator adding a third in the 50th minute before Seydou Fini sealed the win from the penalty spot late on.
Ahanor is expected to get another opportunity to make his debut when Italy U21s take on the Sweden U21 national team on March 31.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
