Nigeria’s head coach Eric Chelle has strengthened his squad for the upcoming Unity Cup in London with the addition of two players as preparations continue for the invitational tournament.
Chelle had initially announced a 27-man squad for the competition, but has now added Collins Yira Sor and Tijani Al-Ameen ahead of the team’s departure to England.
Sor, who plays for Belgian side K.R.C. Genk, returns to the national team after featuring in the friendly matches against Iran and Jordan in March. His inclusion provides extra pace and attacking options on the wings as Chelle continues to assess his squad ahead of future international assignments.
Meanwhile, Shooting Stars defender Tijani Al-Ameen has earned his first senior national team invitation following a string of impressive displays in the Nigeria Premier Football League.
His call-up underlines Chelle’s desire to expand his defensive options while rewarding outstanding performers from the domestic league.
However, the Super Eagles will be without Zadok Yohanna after his Swedish club, AIK Fotboll, declined to release him for the tournament.
The absence of the highly rated winger left a gap in the attacking department, with Sor’s return expected to provide cover in that area.
The Super Eagles are scheduled to depart for London on Friday as preparations intensify for the Unity Cup, which will offer the coaching crew an opportunity to evaluate tactical systems and player performances ahead of upcoming international fixtures.
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.
