Olympic Eagles coach Eric Chelle is reportedly monitoring Liverpool defenders Wellity Lucky and Noah Adekoya ahead of Nigeria’s U23 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifiers in November 2026.
According to Score Nigeria, the Malian coach is assessing the two academy players as potential options for the Nigerian team.
Nigeria are scheduled to face the Democratic Republic of Congo in the qualifiers.
Adekoya yet to make Nigeria debut
Adekoya has attracted interest from the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) after expressing his willingness to represent Nigeria.
Fulham forward Chibuzo Nwoko also indicated his availability for the national team. He has since made his international debut in Nigeria’s friendly against Russia.
However, Adekoya is yet to make an international appearance for Nigeria.
The defender joined Liverpool from Burnley in January 2026. He has scored one goal in four appearances for the club’s Premier League 2 side.
Lucky eligible to represent Nigeria
Lucky was born in Zaragoza, Spain, and qualifies to represent Nigeria through his parents.
He is also eligible to play for Spain and England, having lived in England for more than five years.
The defender has represented England at under-15 and under-16 levels. He has also received an invitation to attend a Spain under-17 training session.
Lucky has featured in seven Liverpool first-team matchday squads. He made his senior debut in a Carabao Cup match against Crystal Palace in October 2025.
The defender is regarded as a prospect for Liverpool’s senior team.
Chelle’s reported interest in the two defenders comes as the Olympic Eagles prepare for their upcoming qualifying campaign.
The team will face the Democratic Republic of Congo in November 2026 as Nigeria seek to progress in the U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying competition.
However, the reported monitoring of Lucky and Adekoya does not confirm that either player has received a formal call-up.
The Nigeria Football Federation has yet to be cited as confirming their selection for the qualifiers.
