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Nigeria Football: Osimhen, Bassey, Lookman and the Eagles Latest
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"headline": "Nigeria Football: Osimhen, Bassey, Lookman and the Eagles Latest",
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"description": "Osimhen's Lagos origin story, Bassey's European push, Ajayi's fitness row, Lookman's Bernabeu test, Eagles debutants and Nigeria's World Cup crisis — all in one place.",
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"keywords": "Victor Osimhen, Super Eagles, Calvin Bassey Fulham, Semi Ajayi Hull City, Ademola Lookman, NFF CAS appeal, Nigeria World Cup 2026, Eric Chelle, William Troost-Ekong",
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{ "@type": "Person", "name": "Victor Osimhen", "nationality": "Nigerian", "jobTitle": "Professional Footballer" },
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{ "@type": "Person", "name": "Calvin Bassey", "nationality": "Nigerian", "jobTitle": "Professional Footballer" },
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{ "@type": "Person", "name": "Semi Ajayi", "nationality": "Nigerian", "jobTitle": "Professional Footballer" },
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{ "@type": "Person", "name": "Dele-Bashiru Adams" },
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{ "@type": "Person", "name": "Chidera Ejuke" },
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{ "@type": "Person", "name": "Eric Chelle" },
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{ "@type": "SportsTeam", "name": "Galatasaray" }
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Nigeria's biggest football stories in one place: Osimhen, Bassey, Lookman, Ajayi, Chelle's debutants and the NFF's last legal roll of the dice for the 2026 World Cup.<br>
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Jakirovic Flags Fitness Risk as Ajayi Heads Back From Eagles Camp
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<br>Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic has gone on record about his concerns over Semi Ajayi returning from Super Eagles duty in less than full fitness. Jakirovic made clear the risk is real — international breaks, travel across continents and hard competitive minutes are the last thing a player in Ajayi's situation needs.<br>
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<br>Semi Ajayi was named in Eric Chelle's 23-man squad for Nigeria's friendly matches against Iran and Jordan, both played in Turkey this March. Jakirovic hasn't blocked the call-up, but his comments carry an undercurrent of concern that Hull will be watching the situation closely. [Full story and quotes at FootballInNigeria.com.ng.](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/nigerians-abroad/hull-boss-flags-ajayi-fitness-risk-after-eagles-duty/)<br>
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<br>The situation highlights a familiar tension in Nigerian football — club welfare versus national team ambition. For Chelle, an experienced, aerially commanding centre-back like Ajayi is exactly the kind of profile he needs in his rebuilding project. But arriving at camp half-fit helps nobody, least of all Nigeria.<br>
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<br>Super Eagles fans planning to follow the Eagles this March can check the [YOHAIG welcome bonus](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/sports-betting/bet9ja/bet9ja-promotion-code/) on Bet9ja before kick-off.<br>
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Bassey: Fulham's European Dream Is Still Alive
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<br>Three games without a win. Four points off a European place. Eight matches left. Calvin Bassey's response to all of that? Fulham are still in it. The Super Eagles defender has been a in Silva's back line all season, and when he says the group believes, it carries some weight.<br>
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<br>Bassey pointed specifically to Silva as the force keeping the squad focused during this dip in form. They're not free-falling down the table — they're drawing games, not losing them, and the gap to Europe is still closeable. [Read the full Bassey interview at FootballInNigeria.com.ng.](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/news/bassey-fulham-eye-europe-despite-three-game-winless-run/)<br>
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<br>A Europa League or Conference League campaign would be a major step up for Bassey's profile — and a reward for a season of consistent, dependable defending.<br>
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The Victor Osimhen Story: Lagos Streets to African Football Royalty
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<br>Before the goals, the records and the European nights, Osimhen was hawking bottled water in Lagos traffic to survive. Selling water in gridlocked Lagos traffic, hustling for daily income, losing his mother before football had given him any real security — and through all of it, he says, he never doubted the outcome.<br>
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<br>That conviction is what sets Osimhen apart from most of his [contemporaries](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/category/youth-football/). Not just the pace, the physicality and the goals — the unshakeable certainty that things were going to work out. [Read the complete Osimhen origin story at FootballInNigeria.com.ng.](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/player-profiles/osimhen-i-knew-id-be-rich-even-without-football/)<br>
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<br>He has been open about the role Drogba, Ighalo and Mikel played in moulding him — not just as inspirations from a distance, but as people who actively influenced his development. [That career mentors story is at FootballInNigeria.com.ng.](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/player-profiles/drogba-ighalo-mikel-shaped-my-career-osimhen/) Among those stories, Osimhen shared that Mikel personally handed him cash on his first day with the senior Eagles — a small act that meant everything at the time. [The full story of that debut gesture is at FootballInNigeria.com.ng.](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/news/national/osimhen-reveals-mikel-gave-him-money-on-eagles-debut/)<br>
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<br>There's a harder side to the Eagles story too. Osimhen has spoken about being shut out — quite literally — by a senior player during an early international camp, a rejection he carried for a long time. [Read the story of that Eagles rejection at FootballInNigeria.com.ng.](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/player-profiles/osimhen-the-night-a-senior-eagle-shut-the-door-on-me/) The Galatasaray striker has also dealt with a fractured arm this term, travelling back to Nigeria for treatment in a blow to his rhythm at club level. [That injury update is at FootballInNigeria.com.ng.](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/injuries/osimhen-flies-home-to-nigeria-with-fractured-arm/)<br>
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<br>New Bet9ja users following Osimhen's return to fitness can check out [Nigeria's top Bet9ja code](https://www.bet9japromotioncode.com.ng/) before placing their first wager.<br>
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Szoboszlai and Konate Said Sorry at Anfield
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<br>After the Galatasaray vs Liverpool tie at Anfield, two of the home side's players — Szoboszlai and Konate — made a point of tracking down Osimhen to say sorry. Liverpool players don't chase down opponents to apologise unless they genuinely respect them. [That Anfield story is reported in full at FootballInNigeria.com.ng.](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/nigerians-abroad/osimhen-szoboszlai-konate-apologised-after-anfield/)<br>
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Nigeria's LaLiga Presence Tested in a High-Stakes Relegation Clash
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<br>A rare scenario played out in LaLiga this month: three Nigerians on a pitch, two sides fighting for survival, and the result mattering enormously for both. With Adams and Ejuke facing Sadiq, Nigerian football had a genuine LaLiga story to follow. [All the Nigerian LaLiga action and analysis is covered at FootballInNigeria.com.ng.](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/nigerians-abroad/adams-ejuke-vs-sadiq-nigerians-in-laliga-six-pointer/)<br>
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Lookman's First Night at the Bernabeu
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<br>The Bernabeu on a European match night is a different kind of test. Ademola Lookman [stepped](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/category/news/nigerian-football-news/) into it for the first time, facing Real Madrid in what represented uncharted territory for the Atalanta winger. How Lookman handles the Bernabeu atmosphere reveals something important about his ceiling as a player. [Lookman's Madrid derby story is fully covered at FootballInNigeria.com.ng.](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/nigerians-abroad/lookman-faces-bernabeu-test-in-first-madrid-derby/)<br>
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<br>Smart bettors following Lookman and Nigeria's European contingent can grab [Bet9ja's promo code today](https://bet9japromotioncode.ng/bet9ja-promo-code-today) before kick-off on the next round of European fixtures.<br>
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Eric Chelle Is Actively Rebuilding the Super Eagles Squad
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<br>Three players received potential debut call-ups as Nigeria's March camp opened in Turkey under Eric Chelle's direction. Which three players got the nod — and which positions they fill — tells you a good deal about where Chelle sees his current squad lacking depth. [The full debutant list and squad news is at FootballInNigeria.com.ng.](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/news/national/chelle-names-three-debutants-as-eagles-camp-in-turkey/)<br>
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<br>Among the new faces, goalkeeper Otele received his first senior call-up and was confirmed fit to feature despite the high-profile fixture on the horizon. [Read more on Otele's first Eagles call-up at FootballInNigeria.com.ng.](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/nigerians-abroad/otele-fit-for-dortmund-clash-after-first-eagles-call-up/)<br>
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<br>On top of that, a new report confirms that 13 Nigeria-eligible players are currently representing England in youth setups — a number that is growing year on year and will give future Super Eagles coaches a genuine selection headache in the best possible sense. [That talent pipeline story is covered in full at FootballInNigeria.com.ng.](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/nigerians-abroad/13-nigeria-eligible-stars-in-england-youth-squads/)<br>
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Italy's Cold Shoulder Could Hand Nigeria a €35m Forward
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<br>Italian clubs have reportedly walked away from Kayode, a [forward](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/category/news/) whose market value sits in the region of €35 million. That cold shoulder from Serie A may push him toward a Super Eagles future. The Super Eagles could benefit directly from Italy's indifference. Chelle needs options in attack, and Kayode at that [valuation](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/category/news/interviews/) is not a consolation prize. [Read the complete transfer analysis at FootballInNigeria.com.ng.](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/news/transfer/italy-snub-kayode-giving-super-eagles-a-e35m-opening/)<br>
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Nigeria's Captain Has a Problem With How Morocco Won
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<br>[Nigeria's skipper](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/category/match-previews-and-reviews/) said the quiet part out loud: winning the Africa Cup of Nations the way Morocco did would bring him shame, not pride. In African football, those words carry weight. Troost-Ekong knew exactly what he was saying and said it anyway. [Read the complete Troost-Ekong interview at FootballInNigeria.com.ng.](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/news/national/troost-ekong-i-would-feel-ashamed-to-win-like-morocco/)<br>
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One Appeal. One Shot at the 2026 World Cup.
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<br>Boboye's verdict on the NFF's CAS appeal is not encouraging: he thinks it will fail. That assessment lands heavily given the stakes. If CAS rules against Nigeria, the qualifying road is effectively over. If the federation wins, a path back into contention reopens — just. [That football governance story is covered at FootballInNigeria.com.ng.](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/football-governance/boboye-nffs-cas-appeal-against-dr-congo-will-fail/) [Nigeria's World Cup destiny is covered in full at FootballInNigeria.com.ng.](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/news/national/nigerias-world-cup-fate-rests-on-nffs-last-appeal/)<br>
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<EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD><EFBFBD> Did You Know?
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Victor Osimhen surpassed Rashidi Yekini's all-time Super Eagles scoring record in 2024. Yekini, widely regarded as Nigeria's greatest striker before Osimhen, scored 37 goals for the national team during his career.
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Calvin Bassey was sold by Rangers to Ajax for £23 million in 2022 — one of the largest fees ever paid to a Scottish club at that point — before moving to Fulham the following year.
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[Semi Ajayi](http://www.annunciogratis.net/author/freemanther) was born in Lagos but grew up in London and represented England at youth level before switching international allegiance to Nigeria. He made his senior Super Eagles debut in 2019.
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Ademola Lookman scored a hat-trick in the 2024 [Europa League](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/category/football-history/) final against Bayer Leverkusen — one of the most celebrated individual performances in a European final in recent history, and a defining moment in his career.
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Umar Sadiq qualifies to represent Nigeria through his father and Norway through his mother. Despite representing Nigeria at senior level, he spent time in Italian football before moving to Spain, making his dual-national journey one of the more complex in recent Eagles history.
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The NFF's CAS dispute with DR [Congo stems](https://www.footballinnigeria.com.ng/category/football-economics/) from Nigeria's AFCON qualifier result in 2025. A successful CAS appeal overturning a confederation match decision is historically very rare, which is why Boboye's assessment carries weight.
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John Obi Mikel captained Nigeria to the 2013 AFCON title in South Africa and earned more than 90 senior caps — making him one of the most decorated players in Super Eagles history and one of the most naturally influential figures in any Nigeria dressing room he ever entered.
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