Koleosho, Ahanor, Ekhator: Three Nigeria-eligible players named in Italy’s 24-man squad for summer friendlies

Interim Italy head coach Silvio Baldini named a 24-man squad on May 25, 2026, for the Azzurri’s upcoming summer friendlies against Luxembourg and Greece — a selection that has drawn attention from the Nigeria Football Federation due to the inclusion of three players eligible for the Super Eagles.

According to the official Italy national team announcement, Paris FC forward Luca Koleosho, Atalanta defender Honest Ahanor, and Genoa striker Jeff Ekhator are all part of the experimental squad. All three could make their senior Italy debuts in those fixtures.

Koleosho, born in the United States to a Nigerian father, holds eligibility for four nations: Nigeria, Italy, the USA, and Canada. Ahanor and Ekhator were both born in Italy but qualify for the Super Eagles through their Nigerian parentage, giving the NFF a legitimate claim to pursue all three.

A critical point under current FIFA regulations is that appearances in these friendly matches would not permanently cap-tie the players to Italy. Each would retain the right to file a one-time change of sporting nationality and switch their allegiance to Nigeria, provided they satisfy the relevant eligibility criteria at the time of application. However, that window would close if any of the trio were subsequently selected for competitive fixtures — such as Italy’s upcoming UEFA European Championship qualifiers — and represented the Azzurri in those matches.

The situation is familiar territory for Nigerian football administrators. The NFF has previously lost players of Nigerian descent to Italy, with Destiny Udogie, Angelo Ogbonna, and Michael Folorunsho all opting to represent the Azzurri over the Super Eagles. In contrast, Fulham centre-back Calvin Bassey chose Nigeria despite interest elsewhere and has since established himself as a regular in the national team setup.

The NFF is reportedly monitoring developments around all three players closely. The federation is also said to be in talks to secure the international commitment of Denmark-based striker William Osula, indicating an active recruitment effort targeting dual-eligible talents before they commit elsewhere.

For Nigeria’s long-term squad planning, the stakes are considerable. Koleosho, Ahanor, and Ekhator represent the kind of technically developed, European club-based profiles the NFF has increasingly sought to integrate into the Super Eagles system. Losing all three to Italy would continue a pattern that has seen several promising dual-nationals choose the Azzurri in recent years.

Baldini’s experimental squad selection reflects Italy’s own transitional moment — the Azzurri are rebuilding following their failure to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup and their exit at the group stage of UEFA Euro 2024. The inclusion of fringe and emerging players for non-competitive fixtures is consistent with that rebuilding approach, but it simultaneously accelerates the timeline for nations like Nigeria that have competing claims on these athletes.

The friendlies against Luxembourg and Greece are expected to take place in June 2026, meaning a decision on the long-term international futures of Koleosho, Ahanor, and Ekhator could become clearer in the weeks that follow.