Europa League hat-trick hero Ademola Lookman headlines a strong 25-man squad for their crucial upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin in June, writes Vlad Andrejevic.
Lookman, who became the first player to score three goals in a European final since 1975, will look to carry his form into an already dangerous Nigerian front line. Following his magical Europa League final performance for Atalanta, he will be expected to spearhead the attack alongside African Player of the Year Victor Osimhen.
This represents a massive turn around for Lookman. who endured a stuttering early career. Following an impressive start at Charlton which resulted in a move to Premier League side Everton, Lookman struggled to live up to his initial promise. Unable to maintain consistency, he was sent out on loan to RB Leipzig before they eventually signed him.
He soon returned to the Premier League for a couple more unremarkable loan spells at Fulham and Leicester before eventually moving to Atalanta. It was there that he finally settled, establishing himself as a starter and scoring 15 goals in his first season before etching himself in the history books this season.
It was during his time in Bergamo that Lookman decided to commit to representing Nigeria, having previously played for various England youth teams. In an interview with the Times, Lookman said: “I wanted to build a career internationally. The decision was something that I thought about for a long time before making it. To play for Nigeria is an honour first of all and the best decision I ever made.”
He has since gone on to star for the Super Eagles, earning 20 caps and scoring winning goals against Cameroon and Angola as Nigeria reached the AFCON finals this winter. His latest call up, alongside other history-makers this season in Bayer Leverkusen’s Nathan Tella and Victor Boniface, represents an exciting future for Nigeria.
This squad, the first picked by new head coach Finidi George, points towards a change in approach that the former AFCON winner will bring to the Super Eagles. Despite reaching the AFCON final earlier this year, George is set to put more focus on the plethora of attacking talent at his disposal.
“With the calibre of players that we have, we cannot play defensive football,” said George previously. “In football, you must get that balance: when you attack and when you defend.” “We had the best defensive record at the AFCON but struggled going forward. We have to get the balance right.”
George will be hoping that his star players carry their club form into these qualifiers as Nigeria currently sit third in their qualifying group. With only one team automatically progressing from the group for the 2026 World Cup, the home game against South Africa on the 7th of June followed by their match in Benin three days later are pivotal for the Super Eagles.
