By
Arinze Izik
New Super Eagles forward George Ilenikhena says his ultimate goal is to win the Africa Cup of Nations, the FIFA World Cup and other major titles with Nigeria after receiving his first senior national team invitation.
The 20-year-old striker was named in the squad for the 2027 AFCON qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau following an impressive start to the season with Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad.
Ilenikhena, who previously featured for Monaco, has scored six goals and registered two assists in nine appearances in all competitions for Al-Ittihad this season.
In an interview with Pooja, the Nigeria-born attacker expressed delight at the opportunity to represent his country of birth and promised to give his all to justify his selection.
“Honestly, I am very happy and excited to be here to represent Nigeria. I am very proud to be here and to show the fans my quality,” he said.
“I will always give my best in training and in games to show everyone that I am ready to play and help the team.”
The young forward disclosed that his ambition is to win every trophy available with the Super Eagles.
“My ambition with this team is to win the AFCON, the World Cup and everything I can play for with this great team,” he added.
Ilenikhena said representing Nigeria is a great honour for him and revealed that his parents were the first people he informed after receiving the invitation.
“It is an honour to represent the Super Eagles because I was born in Nigeria and representing this country is a very big thing for me. I called my dad and my mum because I was really happy and excited. They were really happy and proud of me,” he said.
The Al-Ittihad star also expressed confidence that the team will secure positive results in the upcoming qualifiers if they work together under head coach Eric Chelle.
“We will give our best together with the team and the coach to win these two games and qualify,” he stated.
Ilenikhena will now be looking to make his debut for Nigeria and possibly open his international goals account when the Super Eagles face Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
