Top 6 players left out of Nigeria's Unity Cup 2026 squad ft. Victor Osimhen

Nigeria will begin their Unity Cup 2026 campaign against Zimbabwe

Nigeria are the favorites to win the upcoming 2026 Unity Cup, that will take place in London from May 26-May 30 (May 27 to May 31 in India). The Super Eagles will be accompanied by the likes of Jamaica, Zimbabwe and India (first time participants) in the tournament – with Nigeria having already won all three editions of this unique competition over the last few decades.

Despite being determined to keep their winning streak going in the Unity Cup, Nigeria have named a rather interesting squad for the tournament.

Head Coach Eric Chelle has named a relatively experienced squad with many notable players in it, but there are a number of major names who are not going to participate in the upcoming Unity Cup.

Because of the exhausting European domestic campaign coming to an end towards the end of May, some top-quality Nigerian stars who are playing for major European teams have been rested for this tournament. Here, we look at the six major players left out of the Nigeria squad for the 2026 Unity Cup.

6. Fisayo Dele-Bashiru

A product of the Manchester City youth academy, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru has been impressing in the Serie A for the last few seasons with Lazio. The 25-year-old midfielder has made 23 appearances for the Italian giants in Serie A this season, even scoring and assisting in their four Coppa Italia games as well.

Dele-Bashiru is a really mobile, versatile midfielder who can adapt himself to different needs of matches and bring that extra spark in energy for the Super Eagles.

However, he has been given a rest for the 2026 Unity Cup because of the lengthy season with Lazio that will only end on May 24 (2026). Keeping his recent injury issues in mind, Eric Chelle has opted to exclude him from the Unity Cup squad and give chances to other midfielders.

5. Samuel Chukwueze

Samuel Chukwueze is definitely one of the most exciting wingers to have come up through the Nigeria football scene over the last few decades. The Fulham winger has gained an extensive amount of experience in his career, playing for the likes of AC Milan and Villarreal in the past as well.

In the 2025-26 campaign, the tricky winger scored three goals and provided four assists in the Premier League – including a brace against Manchester City!

The 26-year-old has made 58 appearances for Nigeria – scoring seven goals – but he’s been excluded from the Unity Cup tournament. This might be because Chukwueze has struggled with fitness in recent months and his campaign only ends on May 24 as well.

Despite being a devoted player for the Super Eagles, he’ll have to watch the Unity Cup from his home before catching up with the Nigeria team for their friendly matches in June.

4. Calvin Bassey

Calvin Bassey has earned the reputation of one of the most explosive centre-backs in the Premier League and he’s been a mainstay in the Fulham backline for a few years now. The Nigerian centre-back has helped the Cottagers keep six clean sheets in the 2025-26 Premier League, as well as scoring one goal!

Bassey has amassed 43 appearances for the Super Eagles in his international career, but he seems to have been given some rest for the Unity Cup.

That is because of the tournament starting only a few days after the end of the league campaign and the centre-back requiring some time to cool off after a rigorous season. Bassey still remains a key part of Eric Chelle’s plans and should start playing soon after the Unity Cup.

3. Ademola Lookman

Ademola Lookman has definitely been a breath of fresh air for Atletico Madrid since joining them in January (2026), making a major impact in adding more energy and unpredictability to Diego Simeone’s frontline. Lookman has already managed 13 goal contributions (nine goals, four assists) in 23 games for Atletico, which also included scoring against Barcelona in crucial matches.

The speedy winger has been regularly used by Simeone since joining the club from Atalanta, and often very little rest from January (2026) onward. That is probably why Eric Chelle has opted against selecting him for the Unity Cup, knowing that Lookman needs some rest to re-energize himself.

Nigeria won’t have Lookman’s menacing threat in their frontline for the competition, but it’s only for his good to ensure that the winger doesn’t get plagued with injuries.

2. Alex Iwobi

A product of the Arsenal youth system, Alex Iwobi has now become a crucial part of the Fulham midfield over the last few years. The versatile Iwobi has shown his ability to play in the wide areas as well as anywhere in the midfield, making him even more important for club and country. He has gained 89 caps for the Nigeria football team, scoring 10 goals and become an inspiring senior player for them.

However, Iwobi has not been selected for the Unity Cup, probably to save himself from the possibility of getting injured again.

He’s only recently recovered from a hamstring injury and Eric Chelle wants his player to get ample rest after a gruelling 2025-26 campaign to protect him.

1. Victor Osimhen

Victor Osimhen is arguably the biggest star in Nigerian football because of his amazing achievements over the last few years. Osimhen is coming off a prolific 2025-26 campaign with Galatasaray, helping them win the Turkish Super Lig title and scoring 22 goals across 33 appearances for them – including seven in the UEFA Champions League!

Osimhen is coming off an exhausting campaign, where he’s had to deal with a number of injury troubles and fight on for Galatasaray.

As a result, he seems to have been given some rest from international duties – despite having scored 35 goals for the Super Eagles. Unfortunately for the fans, they won’t be able to witness Osimhen in action in the Unity Cup as he’ll be cheering on for his side from his home.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.