Papa Daniel, Ahmed Musa Headline NPFL Stars Selected for Unity Cup in London

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has unveiled a squad of 12 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) players for the upcoming Unity Cup, a four-nation tournament set to take place in London from May 27 to 31. The event, hosted at Brentford's GTech Community Stadium, will see Nigeria go head-to-head with Ghana, Jamaica, and Trinidad & Tobago as part of their preparation for the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN).

The NPFL representatives include top performers like Sodiq Ismail and Sikiru Alimi from Remo Stars, alongside CHAN Eagles captain Nduka Junior, veteran Ahmed Musa, and Enugu Rangers' Isaac Saviour and Ifeanyi Onyebuchi. The squad also features Adamu Abubakar and Vincent Temitope from Plateau United, with Papa Daniel of Niger Tornadoes making the list after impressing during Nigeria's World Cup qualifiers in March.

Assistant coach Daniel Ogunmodede, who recently led Remo Stars to their first NPFL title, emphasized that the selection focused heavily on local talent due to the tournament falling outside the FIFA international window. This is part of a broader strategy to strengthen the home-based core of the Super Eagles ahead of CHAN.

The tournament will kick off with Jamaica facing Trinidad & Tobago, followed by Nigeria's highly anticipated clash with arch-rivals Ghana on May 28. The winners of both matches will advance to the final, while the losing teams will contest a third-place playoff.

This Unity Cup not only serves as a warm-up for CHAN but also as a platform for local talents to showcase their abilities on the international stage.