Ahanor and Kayode Join Italy's Squad, Snubbing Nigeria

Honest Ahanor, a centre-back for Crystal Palace, and Michael Kayode, a right-back for Brentford, have been included in Italy's squad for the September-October international break, which features matches against Belgium, France, and a double-header friendly against Turkey. This marks Kayode's first call-up to Italy's senior team.

Ahanor has already earned two caps for the Azzurri in friendly matches against Luxembourg and Greece in June 2026. The Nigeria Football Federation and head coach Eric Chelle had been monitoring both players, hoping to persuade them to represent Nigeria, but their efforts were unsuccessful.

Both players have expressed their intention to play for Italy, and if they are capped during this international break, they will be permanently tied to the Azzurri. This situation reflects a trend of footballers of Nigerian descent opting for Italy over the Super Eagles, with previous examples including Destiny Udogie and Michael Folorunsho.