By Annette Ikponmwonba | September 18, 2026
Key Points
· Ikorodu City players Michael Atata and Aderemi Adeoye have been called up to the Super Eagles squad
· The pair were named for the international friendly against Russia on October 6, marking their senior international debuts
· Atata was selected among three goalkeepers alongside Stanley Nwabali and Samuel James
· Adeoye was included in the eight-man midfield selection
· The Super Eagles will also face Madagascar on September 25 and Guinea-Bissau on September 29 in 2027 AFCON qualifiers
· Ikorodu City celebrated the call-ups publicly, describing it as a proud moment for the club
Main Story
Michael Atata and Aderemi Adeoye of Ikorodu City have been called up to the Super Eagles squad, earning selection for the 24-man team assembled for the international friendly against Russia on October 6. The call-ups mark a significant milestone for both players, allowing them to make their senior international debuts.
Atata was named among three goalkeepers in the squad, alongside Stanley Nwabali and Samuel James, while Adeoye was included in the eight-man midfield selection. Their inclusion comes as part of a broader run of fixtures for the national team, with the Super Eagles set to face Madagascar on September 25 and Guinea-Bissau on September 29 in their opening 2027 AFCON qualifying matches, before taking on Russia in the October 6 friendly.
The Issues
The call-ups highlight the growing pipeline of talent emerging from Nigeria’s domestic league into the national team setup, with Ikorodu City continuing to see its players attract attention at the highest level of Nigerian football. For a club still building its national profile, having multiple players called up to the Super Eagles squad simultaneously represents a meaningful marker of the quality being developed within its ranks.
The timing of the call-ups, arriving just ahead of high stakes AFCON qualifying matches, also places some pressure on both players and the coaching staff, since squad selections made around such fixtures often carry implications for how emerging talent is integrated into the team’s broader competitive plans heading into the qualifying campaign.
What’s Being Said
Ikorodu City marked the occasion with a celebratory post on their official X handle, expressing pride in seeing their players reach the national team. “THE NATIONAL TEAM DUO! A proud moment for the OgaBoys! We’re honoured to have Michael Atata & Aderemi Adeoye called up to the Super Eagles squad ahead of the upcoming international games. Congratulations, boys! Go on with pride & do us proud!” the club wrote.
What’s Next
Attention will now turn to whether Atata and Adeoye feature in any of the Super Eagles’ upcoming fixtures, starting with the AFCON qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, before the October 6 friendly against Russia where both are already included in the squad, How both players perform if given playing time could shape their standing within the national team setup going forward, particularly as Nigeria continues building its squad depth ahead of the broader AFCON qualifying campaign.
Bottom Line
The national team call-ups for Atata and Adeoye mark a proud moment for Ikorodu City and reflect the continued rise of domestic league talent into Nigeria’s senior national setup, with both players now poised to make their senior international debuts on the international stage.
