Eric Chelle Explains Absence of Osimhen, Lookman and Other Stars Ahead of Portugal, Poland Friendlies

Nigeria’s senior men’s national team head coach Eric Chelle has provided updates on the availability of several key players ahead of Nigeria’s upcoming international friendlies against Poland and Portugal.

The Malian tactician revealed that a number of regular squad members will miss the matches for various reasons, including personal commitments, club restrictions, visa issues, and fitness concerns.

Speaking on the situation surrounding star striker Victor Osimhen, Chelle stressed the importance of the forward to both Nigeria and his club while acknowledging that transfer-related matters often dominate the off-season period.

“Concerning Victor Osimhen, he is an important player for Nigeria and Galatasaray. This period is off-season when a lot of things happen off the pitch and we must respect certain decisions that are not in our hands,” Chelle said.

The Super Eagles boss also confirmed that Ademola Lookman will not be available for the friendlies due to personal reasons.

Chelle further disclosed that Unity Cup hero Femi Azeez, who impressed on his debut for Nigeria, will miss the games after his club declined to release him for the remaining international fixtures.

“Ademola Lookman won’t be available for personal reasons; Femi Azeez had a decent outing at the Unity Cup, but his club will not release him for the remaining matches,” he explained.

The coach also revealed that midfielders Alhassan Yusuf and Samson Tijani are unavailable because of visa-related issues, while Ebenezer Akinsanmiro has been ruled out through illness.

“Alhassan Yusuf and Tijani Samson do not have entry visas and Ebenezer Akinsanmiro is not feeling well,” Chelle added.

Despite the absences, the Super Eagles manager insisted that Nigeria will approach both matches with maximum seriousness and professionalism.

“The upcoming matches are friendlies and I will approach every game with seriousness with the players available,” he stated.

Nigeria’s clashes against Poland and Portugal are expected to provide Chelle with another opportunity to assess his squad as preparations continue for future competitive assignments.

Samuel Ahmadu

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.

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