George Ilenikhena Chooses Nigeria Over France U21 Team

George Ilenikhena, a 20-year-old forward, has declined a call-up to the France Under-21 team, opting instead to commit his international future to Nigeria's senior national team. France Under-21 head coach Gérald Baticle expressed disappointment over Ilenikhena's decision, as he had included him in the squad for the last international break.

Ilenikhena informed Baticle that he would not reverse his decision. Meanwhile, two other players named in the squad, Valentin Atangana Edoa and Nathan Zeze, accepted the invitation and participated in a 7-1 victory over Switzerland in the European Under-21 Championship qualifiers.

Ilenikhena, who was born in France but raised there, chose to represent Nigeria and scored against Madagascar in a 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. He has been performing well at club level with Al-Ittihad, scoring and assisting in a recent 4-1 win over Al-Ettifaq, bringing his season tally to five goals and three assists in seven league matches.