Alex Iwobi’s 100th cap for Nigeria’s Super Eagles was a personal milestone, and it also showed how far the diaspora players have come in recent times. Nigeria has leaned on players raised abroad for a long time. John Chidozie and Reuben Agboola are among the noticeable names from the 80s and 90s who wore the shirt after growing up overseas.
More recently, Arthur Okonkwo and Emmanuel Fernandez have been brought into the squad under Eric Chelle as Nigeria’s relation with their foreign born or raised players continue.
In this feature, Footy-Africa lists four players who are now in the picture, with two already worn the green-white-green, and two still weighing it up.
Chibby Nwoko – Midfielder (Fulham)
Chibby Nwoko was born in London to Nigerian parents. He started at Chelsea, then joined Fulham’s academy at Under-12 level. He picked up his first senior minutes on loan at Forest Green Rovers. His Fulham debut came on 27 August 2026, when he played 22 minutes in a Carabao Cup tie against AFC Wimbledon.
He played for England at Under-18 level, including the International Tournament of Lisbon in June 2023. Soccernet reported that he had hoped for a Flying Eagles or Olympic Eagles invitation that never came. Eric Chelle came calling later. The coach followed his progress at Fulham and phoned Iwobi for an opinion before the squad was named, and Iwobi’s word carried weight.
The newest Super Eagle. 🦅 A huge congratulations to Chibby Nwoko on making his senior Nigeria debut on Tuesday evening! 🤍 https://t.co/dP4xAw6xSa
— Fulham Academy (@FulhamAcademy) October 8, 2026
Nwoko accepted the call-up in September and made his Super Eagles debut on 6 October in Nizhny Novgorod. He wore number 17, picked up a yellow card, and came off in the 83rd minute as Nigeria fought back to draw 3-3 with Russia. The debut was short, and the story is only starting.
He is a left-footed, technical midfielder with good range on his passing. He can play as a 6, an 8 or a 10, which is why Chelle likes him.
Tim Iroegbunam – Midfielder (Hull City)
Tim Iroegbunam was born in Birmingham on 30 June 2003 to Nigerian parents. He came through West Brom’s academy and then Aston Villa’s, and he won the European Under-19 Championship with England in 2022. Everton signed him from Villa in June 2024 for a reported £9 million.
Game time was the problem at Goodison Park. He mostly sat behind Idrissa Gueye and James Garner, and he finished with 48 league appearances for Everton and no goals. On deadline day, 1 September, he moved to newly promoted Hull City on a five-year deal, reported at £13 million up front and up to £22 million with add-ons. He is a physical, quick midfielder who carries the ball well, and Hull will expect him to play a lot more than he did on Merseyside.
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The Nigeria link has been building all year. Chelle has identified him as a midfield option, and reports in the spring said Iroegbunam wanted to sit down with the coach about a switch. He is now going through the process of securing a Nigerian passport. Hull also has Semi Ajayi and David Akintola, so there will be familiar faces in the dressing room. He has never played senior football for England, so the door is open.
Kaye Furo – Forward (Brentford)
Kaye Furo is 19, born in Belgium on 6 February 2007. He came through Royal Antwerp’s youth system and then Club Brugge’s academy, and signed his first professional contract at 15. Brentford signed him from Brugge in January 2026 on a five-and-a-half-year deal. At 6ft 3in, he is a big striker who is strong in the box and moves intelligently.
He has played for Belgium at every youth level from Under-15 to Under-21, but he has no senior international appearance, so he can still switch. His father, Iyenemi Furo, was a centre-back who played for Nigeria at the 1999 FIFA U20 World Cup and was part of the squad at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. He played club football in France, Belgium, Switzerland and Greece, and he turned out for Aalst in Belgium. Furo still visits family in Rivers State in the off-season.
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His start at Brentford has been interrupted. He won the Premier League 2 Player of the Month award with Brentford B, then needed an operation in September just before a Carabao Cup tie against Reading. Head coach Keith Andrews said he would have started him in that game. There is no timeline for his return yet. Brentford already has a Nigeria international in defender Benjamin Fredrick, so Furo would not be walking into an unfamiliar room.
Femi Azeez – Winger (Brighton and Hove Albion)
Femi Azeez is the most advanced of the four. He has already played for Nigeria, and he did it in style. Chelle gave him his debut at the Unity Cup in London in May, and he scored twice in the 2-0 semi-final win over Zimbabwe at The Valley, the first after five minutes. He then set up a goal in the 3-0 final win over Jamaica, which gave Chelle’s side a fourth Unity Cup title.
Last season he scored 11 goals in 37 games for Millwall, was named in the PFA Championship Team of the Year, and won his club’s Player of the Season award. Brighton signed him on 2 September 2026 in a deal worth an initial £12.5 million that could rise to £15 million. He signed a four-year contract with an option for a fifth year, and he wears number 39. He was Brighton’s 11th signing of the summer under Fabian Hurzeler.
The timing has been unlucky. He picked up a hamstring problem and has been out since the Championship season opened, which kept him out of the AFCON qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, and the Russia friendly. He is a pacy winger who can play wide or come inside, and Hurzeler has been working him back to fitness. Once he is playing regularly in the Premier League, he will be hard for Chelle to leave out.
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Nigeria’s final window of 2026 comes in November, and the squad list will show which of these four Chelle is ready to move on.
