Super Eagles Miss Out on Two Nigeria-Eligible Players After Italy Call-Up
- Defenders Honest Ahanor and Michael Kayode received call-ups to Italy's squad for the September-October international break
- The duo have been on the NFF’s radar for a potential switch to the Super Eagles, but both players have made their preference clear
- Kayode earned his first senior Italy call-up, while Ahanor had previously appeared for the Azzurri in June 2026
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Crystal Palace centre-back Honest Ahanor and Brentford right-back Michael Kayode have been named in Italy's squad for the September-October international break, covering fixtures against Belgium, France, and a double-header friendly against Turkey.
Kayode's inclusion marks his first call-up to Italy's senior setup. Ahanor, who is owned by Chelsea, had already earned two caps for the Azzurri in friendly matches against Luxembourg and Greece in June 2026, as confirmed by FIGC.
Source: Getty Images
Nigeria's pursuit comes up short
The Nigeria Football Federation and Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle had monitored both players over a period of time, hoping to convince them to declare for Nigeria. Those efforts have not succeeded.
Both Ahanor and Kayode have been open about their intention to represent Italy, and if selected and capped during this break, they would meet the threshold to become permanently tied to the Azzurri.
As noted by All Nigeria Soccer, the two players are the latest in a line of footballers of Nigerian descent to choose Italy over the Super Eagles.
Destiny Udogie, Michael Folorunsho, Stefano Okaka, and Angelo Ogbonna have all represented Italy despite their Nigerian roots. Calvin Bassey made the opposite decision, opting to play for Nigeria.
Chelsea exploit loophole to sign Ahanor
Legit.ng previously reported that Chelsea exploited a loophole to sign Honest Ahanor from Atalanta and loan him to Crystal Palace.
Chelsea cannot send two players on loan to Palace after Axel Disasi joined, so the Blues reached an agreement to sign Ahanor in 2027 instead.
Source: Legit.ng
