George Ilenikhena has received an invitation to join the Super Eagles for Nigeria’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers. The Al Ittihad striker could make his senior international debut after Eric Chelle selected him for the September camp.
Super Eagles NG understands that Ilenikhena can represent either Nigeria or France after spending most of his childhood in France. The Lagos-born striker moved to the country at the age of three and later represented France at youth level before pursuing a senior career with Nigeria.
The 20-year-old then posted a picture of himself wearing the Super Eagles kit on Instagram. He stood beside a Nigerian eagle statue with “NIGERIA” displayed behind him, captioned the post “Naija” and used Asake’s Gratitude as the background music.
Chelle reacted to the post by liking it, while Super Eagles striker Tolu Arokodare replied “oyaaa”. Afrik-Foot also reported that Ilenikhena responded to news of his invitation with the words “Here we go”.
Meanwhile, the striker has started the new Saudi Pro League season with six goals in seven appearances for Al Ittihad. He scored twice in the club’s 2-1 victory over defending Saudi champions Al Nassr, adding to his strong start in Saudi Arabia.
Al Ittihad signed Ilenikhena from Monaco in February 2026 for a reported €33m. He had joined the French club in July 2024 and made 51 appearances across competitions, scoring 10 goals before leaving for Saudi Arabia.
His spell at Royal Antwerp preceded his move to Monaco, with the Belgian club recording 14 goals from him in 50 appearances. He also scored against Barcelona in the Champions League as Antwerp secured a 3-2 victory over the Spanish side.
Ilenikhena began his senior career at Amiens after developing with Antony Football Evolution in France. He scored 24 goals for Amiens Under-17s during the 2021/22 season before making 17 Ligue 2 appearances and scoring twice in the following campaign.
Nigeria will open its Group L AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign against Madagascar on September 25 before travelling to Guinea-Bissau for the second fixture on September 29. The Super Eagles will also face Tanzania in the group as they compete for qualification to the tournament.
