Al-Ittihad striker George Ilenikhena has intensified speculation over a possible first senior invitation to the Super Eagles after appearing to signal his allegiance to Nigeria ahead of the country’s 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.

The 20-year-old Lagos-born forward recently posted a picture of himself wearing a Super Eagles jersey beside a giant Nigerian eagle statue, with “NIGERIA” prominently displayed in the background.

Ilenikhena captioned the Instagram post simply, “Naija,” while using Nigerian music star Asake’s Gratitude as the soundtrack.

The post attracted further attention after Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle liked it, fuelling suggestions that the Al-Ittihad forward could be on the coach’s radar for Nigeria’s upcoming AFCON qualifiers. However, there has been no official confirmation of a call-up.  

Ilenikhena’s timing has also coincided with an impressive start to the 2026/27 campaign. He has scored six goals in seven appearances for Al-Ittihad, including a brace in the club’s 2–1 victory over Saudi Pro League champions Al-Nassr.  

The striker’s form could prove particularly significant for Chelle as Nigeria prepares for AFCON 2027 qualifying matches against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau later this month.

Nigeria will host Madagascar on September 25 before travelling to face Guinea-Bissau on September 29, with the Super Eagles seeking a strong start to their qualifying campaign.  

Ilenikhena, born in Lagos but raised in France after moving there at the age of three, has been eligible to represent both Nigeria and France.

His latest social media gesture appears to strengthen the impression that he is leaning towards representing Nigeria at senior level, after spending much of his youth development in France. 

His rise has been rapid and developed through the youth system at Antony Football Evolution before joining Amiens in 2021. At just 15, he scored 24 goals for Amiens’ Under-17 side in his debut season and subsequently progressed to the senior team.

He made 17 Ligue 2 appearances for Amiens during the 2022/23 campaign, scoring twice before moving to Belgium to join Royal Antwerp in June 2023.

At Antwerp, Ilenikhena made 50 appearances and scored 14 goals across competitions, while also announcing himself on the European stage with a Champions League goal against Barcelona in the club’s first-ever victory in the competition. 

His performances earned him a move to AS Monaco in July 2024, where he continued to make an impression in the Champions League, scoring against Barcelona again in a 2–1 victory.

Ilenikhena eventually made 51 appearances for Monaco, scoring 10 goals before completing a reported €33m move to Al-Ittihad in February 2026. 

With Victor Osimhen’s fitness situation uncertain and Nigeria possessing a number of competing options in attack, Ilenikhena’s emergence provides Chelle with another potentially exciting option.

For now, however, the striker’s Super Eagles future remains unconfirmed.

His Nigeria jersey, “Naija” message and the reaction from Chelle may have offered a strong hint, but the final confirmation will have to come through the official squad announcement.

If selected, Ilenikhena would bring Champions League experience, youth, physicality and a rapidly improving goalscoring record to a Super Eagles side looking to rebuild its attacking depth after missing out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup.