As the Super Eagles continue their quest for glory, Nigerian football fans are eagerly anticipating the emergence of fresh talent who are eligible to play for the national team ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations, which will be hosted in Morocco in December 2025.
From Premier League sensations to rising stars in Europe’s top leagues, we will take a look at the most promising players eligible to don the iconic green and white jersey of the Super Eagles in 2025.
Here are the players who are eligible to play for the Super Eagles
(1) Lesley Ugochukwu
Club: Chelsea
Age : 20
Lesley Ugochukwu is a Nigerian professional footballer who is a player of Chelsea Football Club. He is also a youth international for France but is eligible to play for Nigeria at the senior level through his parents.
Ugochukwu represented France at various youth levels, including the U16, U17, and U18 teams, and a young midfielder that has a lot of talent that could be valuable for the Nigeria national team.
:(2) Carney Chukwuemeka
Club: Chelsea
Age: 21
Carney Chukwuemeka is a talented young footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or left winger for Premier League club Chelsea. The 21-year-old began at Northampton Town’s academy before joining Aston Villa’s academy in 2016. He made his senior debut for Aston Villa in 2021 and later signed with Chelsea in 2022.
Chukwuemeka has represented England at various youth levels, including the U17, U18, U19, and U20 teams. He was part of the England U19 squad that won the 2022 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.
(3) Samuel Edozie:
Club: Anderlecht
Age: 21
Samuel Edozie plays as a winger for Belgian Pro League club Anderlecht, on loan from Premier League club Southampton. He made his professional debut for Manchester City in the 2021 FA Community Shield and later signed a five-year contract with Southampton in September 2022.
The 21-year-old has represented England at various youth levels, including the U18, U19, and U20 teams. He was also part of the England U20 squad that participated in the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup and he is eligible to play for the Super Eagles.
(4) Justin Njinmah
Club: Werder Bremen
Age: 24
Justin Njinmah is a German professional footballer of Nigerian descent who plays as a midfielder for Werder Bremen. Njinmah began his football journey in the youth system at FC St. Pauli before joining Werder Bremen in 2019.
He made his professional debut for Werder Bremen in 2020 and represented Germany at various youth levels, including the U18, U19, and U20 teams. However he is yet to feature for the senior team of Germany which means he is eligible to play for Nigeria at the senior level through his Nigerian parents.
(5) Ethan Nwaneri
Club: Arsenal
Age: 17
Ethan Nwaneri is one of the shining stars in the football world known for his exceptional skills as an attacking midfielder for Premier League club Arsenal, having joined them since the age of 9.
He made history by becoming the youngest player to debut in the Premier League at just 15 years and 181 days, his impressive performance earned him a spot in Arsenal’s senior squad. Nwaneri represented England at various youth levels, including the U16, U17, and U19 teams, meaning he is eligible to play for the Super Eagles.
(6) Tolu Arokodare
Club: Genk
Age: 24
Tolu Arokodare plays as a centre-forward for Belgian club Genk, having begun his football journey in his home country, playing for various youth academies, including Kash Academy and Flying Sports Academy.
Arokodare’s professional career took off in 2019 when he joined Latvian club Valmiera. He later had loan stints with German Club 1. FC Köln and French club Amiens before signing a permanent deal with Genk in January 2023.
(7) Chrisantus Uche
Club: Getafe
Age: 27
Chrisantus Uche plays for La Liga club Getafe CF, having started his football journey playing amateur football with friends in his hometown before joining Spanish club Moralo CP in July 2022.
He made his senior debut with Moralo’s B team in November 2022 and later joined AD Ceuta FC in July 2023. Uche’s impressive performance earned him a transfer to Getafe CF in February 2024, where he signed a four-year contract, which will run until 2028.
(8) Hamzat Ojediran
Club: RC Lens
Age: 21
Hamzat Ojediran is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Vejle Boldklub. Having made his professional debut in 2022, Ojediran has quickly established himself as a regular member of the team. His impressive performances have caught attention, and he is now being considered for a potential call-up to the Nigerian national team, the Super Eagles.
(9) Noah Atubolu
Club: Freiburg
Age: 22
Noah Atubolu is a German professional footballer of Nigerian descent who plays as a goalkeeper for Bundesliga club SC Freiburg. Born in Freiburg, Germany, the 22-year-old has already made a significant impact in German football. Atubolu has gained valuable experience representing Germany at various youth international levels, including the U17, U19, and U21 teams.
His notable achievements include winning the prestigious Fritz Walter Medal U19 Bronze in 2021, a testament to his exceptional talent and dedication. With his impressive performance and growing recognition, Atubolu is widely regarded as a promising young talent in German football, with a bright future ahead.
(10) Nnamdi Collins
Club: Frankfurt
Age: 21
Nnamdi Collins currently plays as a centre-back for Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund. He was born on January 12, 2004, in Berlin, Germany, Collins has quickly risen through the youth ranks to become a promising young talent in German football.
Collins made his professional debut for Borussia Dortmund in 2022 and has since become a regular member of the team. He has represented Germany at various youth international levels, including the U16, U17, U18, and U19 teams. Some of his notable achievements include winning the 2020-21 UEFA European Under-17 Championship with Germany and being named to the tournament’s Team of the Tournament.