Chelle finally speaks on leaving out George Ilenikhena from Super Eagles squad

According to a report by OwnGoalNigeria on Monday, November 9, 2026, Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has finally explained his decision to left out George Ilenikhena from Nigeria’s squad for the upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Tanzania.

The omission of the young striker from the latest squad has raised questions, particularly following his recent performances at club level and his involvement with the national team setup.

However, Chelle’s decision was not based on the striker’s performances or a lack of confidence in his abilities.

The 20-year-old was left out because he is still struggling with an injury sustained during Nigeria’s previous qualifying match against Guinea-Bissau.

A source close to the Super Eagles disclosed that Ilenikhena has been battling to regain full fitness since the encounter in Bissau.

“He [George Ilenikhena] is injured and that is why he was left out of the team. It is so unfortunate that he has been battling to be fully fit since the game on that pitch in Guinea-Bissau,” the source revealed.

The source further disclosed that Chelle personally confirmed the injury, while Ilenikhena himself expressed disappointment over missing the two matches against Tanzania.

Ilenikhena made his senior international debut for Nigeria in September during the 2027 AFCON qualifier against Madagascar in Uyo.

The Al-Ittihad forward marked the occasion with a goal, scoring Nigeria’s equalizer in the 2-1 victory after receiving a pass from Alex Iwobi.

He subsequently featured as a substitute in Nigeria’s next qualifying match against Guinea-Bissau, which ended in a disappointing 3-0 defeat for the Super Eagles.

Nigeria will host Tanzania at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on November 13 before travelling for the return fixture on November 17.

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