By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigeria senior national team will be without four key players—Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, and Calvin Bassey—for their upcoming Unity Cup fixtures against Ghana, Russia, and either Jamaica or Trinidad & Tobago.
Sources close to the team confirmed that Napoli striker Osimhen and Atalanta forward Lookman have opted out to focus on their futures.
Osimhen’s loan spell at Galatasaray is set to end next month, while Lookman is reportedly eyeing a major transfer move following an impressive season in Serie A.
A source added that Lookman also intends to take a “deserved break” after a demanding campaign in Italy.
Fulham pair Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey have also been ruled out of the matches, citing personal commitments that conflict with the scheduled friendlies.
The Unity Cup will kick off with a match against Ghana in London, followed by a fixture against either Jamaica or Trinidad & Tobago. The Super Eagles will then face Russia in Moscow on June 6.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
