3 Players Super Eagles could lose to Italy after Azzurri release 24-man squad

Paris FC forward Luca Koleosho, Atalanta defender Honest Ahanor, and Genoa striker Jeff Ekhator are all in line to make their senior debuts for Italy against Luxembourg and Greece.

Koleosho was born in the United States to a Nigerian father and is eligible for Nigeria, Italy, the USA, and Canada.

Ahanor and Ekhator, both born in Italy, qualify for the Super Eagles through their Nigerian parents.

Importantly, appearances in these upcoming friendly matches would not permanently cap-tie the players to Italy under FIFA rules.

They would still be able to file a one-time change of sporting nationality to switch to Nigeria in the future, provided they meet the eligibility criteria. However, should they perform brilliantly and earn call-ups to Italy's next squad for the European qualifiers, the door will be closed to Nigeria.

Nigeria has a history of losing talents of Nigerian heritage to Italy, with players like Destiny Udogie, Angelo Ogbonna, and Michael Folorunsho opting for the Azzurri.

However, Fulham’s Calvin Bassey famously chose Nigeria and has since become a key player for the Super Eagles.

The NFF, who are also in talks to land Denmark's William Osula, will be monitoring the situation closely, as losing these three promising talents could represent a significant blow to Nigeria’s long-term squad planning.