Six NPFL Players Expected to Make Super Eagles Squad For 2026 Unity Cup

by Devesh Jaganath

image Six NPFL Players Expected to Make Super Eagles Squad For 2026 Unity Cup
The Nigerian national football team are set to try and defend their Unity Cup title in London next month against Jamaica, Zimbabwe and India. Eric Chelle revealed that he intends to integrate new faces into the squad for the upcoming tournament, and reports in recent days suggest that as many as six NPFL stars could make the cut.
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Joseph Arumala among NPFL hopefuls for Unity Cup call-up 

Despite missing out on qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Nigeria still have silverware in their sights, as they are set to try and defend their Unity Cup title next month in London. We will be covering all the matches from the Unity Cup in our football predictions.  

The Super Eagles won the 2025 edition of the competition, beating Jamaica on penalties in the final. The Reggae Boys will return for the 2026 tournament, while India and Zimbabwe will replace Ghana and Trinidad and Tobago for the 2026 instalment. 

Given that most leagues across Europe would only have just completed by the time the 2026 Unity Cup starts, Nigeria’s head coach Eric Chelle revealed earlier this month that his squad for the tournament will feature several players from the Nigerian Premier Football League. 

Reports in recent days have now suggested that six NPFL players could make the cut for the upcoming tournament, including Ikorodu City’s Joseph Arumala, who is currently tied for the lead in the NPFL Golden Boot race with 12 goals to date. 

Other names that have been floated to earn call-ups include Anas Yusuf of Nasarawa United, Daddy Abdulrahman of El-Kanemi Warriors, Ifeanyi Onyebuchi and Godwin Obaje of Enugu Rangers, Sodiq Ismail of Remo Stars, and Daniel “Papa” Mustapha of Niger Tornadoes. 

Various outlets across Nigeria have indicated that Chelle has been closely monitoring the players mentioned above, as the Malian tactician looks to strengthen the home-based core in the lead-up to the 2026 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN). 

Iheanacho to lead Super Eagles to Unity Cup title defence? 

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While the majority of Nigeria’s football icons, such as Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi, are expected to miss the 2026 Unity Cup, one player who could return to the national team setup for the competition is Kelechi Iheanacho. 

The former Manchester City striker has lost his spot in the Super Eagles side in the last year, owing to a dip in performance and ongoing injuries, but he has experienced a notable upturn in recent months and was the star of the show for Celtic in their victory over St. Mirren in the Scottish Cup semi-final last week. 

The 29-year-old also netted a crucial winner against Dundee earlier this month to keep the Hoops within touching distance of the Scottish Premiership leaders, and has now recorded six goals in just 746 minutes of club football in the 2025-26 season. 

Other overseas players who could feature for the Super Eagles at the Unity Cup include Tolu Arokodare (Wolves), Igoh Ogbu (Slavia Prague), Chrisantus Uche (Crystal Palace) and Wrexham's Arthur Okonkwo, who recently received clearance from FIFA to switch allegiance to Nigeria.