Nigeria U-23 head coach Eric Chelle has reportedly drawn up a shortlist of 35 foreign-based players eligible to represent the Olympic Eagles as preparations gather pace for the country's next Olympic qualification campaign, Nigeriasoccernet.com reports.
According to Daily Post, the Malian tactician, who also oversees the Super Eagles, has stepped up plans to build a competitive squad capable of returning Nigeria to the men's football tournament at the Olympic Games after missing the last two editions.
Chelle is understood to be casting his net wide, monitoring talents across the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) and several European leagues in a bid to identify the country's most promising young players.
Among the overseas-based stars reportedly on his radar are newly signed Brighton & Hove Albion winger Zadok Yohanna, RB Leipzig wide man Suleiman Sani, and Famalicão striker Umar Abubakar, all of whom have impressed with their performances at club level.
The reported watchlist also includes Kristiansund BK midfielder Promise Meliga, Slavia Prague's Mubarak Suleiman, Reims forward Hafiz Umar, LASK defender Emmanuel Michael, FK Pardubice midfielder Emmanuel Godwin, and Zalaegerszeg's Akpe Victory.
The extensive list highlights the growing number of young Nigerian talents making their mark across Europe, with players currently plying their trade in England, Germany, Portugal, France, Austria, Norway, the Czech Republic and Hungary.
Chelle is expected to blend the best-performing foreign-based players with outstanding talents from the NPFL as he shapes a squad capable of competing successfully in the forthcoming Olympic qualifiers.
Nigeria last featured in the men's football event at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, where the Olympic Eagles claimed the bronze medal. Since then, the team has failed to qualify for both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic football tournaments.
Although the Nigeria Football Federation has yet to announce an official squad, the reported shortlist offers an early insight into the players being closely monitored by Chelle as he begins preparations for the Olympic Eagles' upcoming assignments and their bid to return Nigeria to football's biggest multi-sport event.