Get him for Nigeria before France – Ex-Monaco man wants Super Eagles role for UCL wonderkid

After George Ilenikhena's incredible performance in the UEFA Champions League, former Super Eagles and AS Monaco forward Victor Ikpeba has urged Nigeria's national team to move quickly to win Ilenikhena's international allegiance, according to Soccernet.ng.

The 18-year-old striker, who was born in Lagos, made headlines this week when he scored in the prestigious competition and became Monaco's youngest player ever.

Ilenikhena is a player to watch after his game-winning goal in Monaco's 2-1 victory over Barcelona not only benefited his team but also broke Kylian Mbappe's record.

Despite Nigeria currently boasting a wealth of attacking talent, including African Player of the Year Victor Osimhen, along with Ademola Lookman and Victor Boniface, Ikpeba believes Ilenikhena has the potential to be a future star for the Super Eagles.

“I have been following the remarkable progress of the boy, he’s quick and will certainly be one for the future for the Super Eagles,” Ikpeba told ScoreNigeria.

“I know that he has already been capped by the French age-grade team, but we can still get him to play for the Super Eagles. It will be a difficult fight, but he can play for Nigeria if the proper steps are taken in the right order, starting with seeing his family.

The former Antwerp striker has already surpassed Mbappe’s record at Monaco, and his strike against Barcelona added another milestone to his growing reputation.

According to BBC, Ilenikhena is the first player in Champions League history to score against the same team in successive matches but for different clubs, having previously netted for Antwerp against Barcelona last December.

With his first goal for Monaco in only his fifth appearance for the club, Ikpeba insists Nigeria must act fast to secure his services.

“This is the time to get him in, and thereafter he can fight for his place in the team,” he concluded.

Ilenikhena's career took off when he scored for Bordeaux in January 2023 at the age of 16 years and 150 days, breaking the record for the youngest scorer in Ligue 2.