Lagos-born Barcelona destroyer on Eric Chelle's radar for Super Eagles

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has confirmed that his coaching crew is keeping close tabs on Lagos-born striker George Ilenikhena ahead of a potential call-up to the Nigerian national team.

The 19-year-old forward remains one of the most highly rated young prospects eligible to represent the three-time African champions on the international stage.

Chelle revealed the scouting update in London following Nigeria’s comfortable 2-0 victory over Zimbabwe in the Unity Cup tournament on Tuesday night.

The Malian tactician explained that his backroom staff continuously tracks Nigerian-eligible talent across various global leagues, specifically acknowledging Ilenikhena's recent high-profile winter transfer to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad as a direct replacement for former Real Madrid icon Karim Benzema.

“We follow a lot of players in Europe, particularly in Germany, England,” Chelle told reporters. “Some of them in Saudi because we have a striker who played for Monaco, he is a good player. We follow a lot of players.”

Prior to his lucrative move to the Middle East, the teenage sensation famously earned his reputation as a "Barcelona destroyer" by scoring in back-to-back UEFA Champions League matches against the Spanish giants during his clinical spells with Royal Antwerp and AS Monaco.

While actively looking to integrate elite fresh blood into the national setup, Chelle emphasised that his primary focus remains on instilling a ruthless, winning mentality within the current squad.

He insisted that the present pool of players possesses more than enough raw technical quality to deliver major silverware for the country.

“We have a good and great team and at this moment they are at the top, so this is the moment that they are supposed to win something,” Chelle asserted.

The Super Eagles boss is now expected to intensify his recruitment efforts to fully convince Ilenikhena to pledge his international future to Nigeria as the team builds momentum toward the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations across Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.