The head coach of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle, has left Victor Osimhen and Ademola out of his squad for play Ghana in the Unity Cup.
This was confirmed after the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, released the list of invited players on Wednesday afternoon.
Osimhen and Lookman will also miss Nigeria’s games against Russia.
However, there is a return for goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, Frank Onyeka, Kelechi Iheanacho and captain Ahmed Musa.
The NPFL contingent includes Junior Harrison Nduka, captain of both Remo Stars and the CHAN-bound Super Eagles B, alongside Ifeanyi Onyebuchi and Collins Ugwueze (Enugu Rangers), Sodiq Ismail (Remo Stars), Waliu Ojetoye (Ikorodu City).
Saviour Isaac (Enugu Rangers), Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes), Sikiru Alimi (Remo Stars), and Adamu Abubakar (Plateau United) are also included in the team.
These home-based stars will compete for spots against established names like Moses Simon, Stanley Nwabali, Wilfred Ndidi, Samuel Chukwueze, Cyriel Dessers, Nathan Tella, Tolu Arokodare, and Kelechi Iheanacho.
Musa will lead the team to the Unity, which will be played from May 26 to 31. The four-nation competition features Nigeria, Ghana, Jamaica, and Trinidad & Tobago.
Russia will host Nigeria in an international friendly on June 6, at the iconic Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
READ ALSO: CBN retains interest rate at 27.5%, other parameters
The game will be the first-ever senior international meeting between the two countries.
Chelle, aiming to test new players and tactics ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, stated that the tournament “will give us the chance to try out a few new players in different roles, helping us to strengthen our squad before the matches in September and October.”