Former Super Eagles forward Garba Lawal has weighed in on Alhassan Yusuf’s return to the national team setup, Soccernet.ng exclusively reports.
While Nigeria will not feature at the upcoming World Cup after failing to qualify against DR Congo in the CAF playoff final, the three-time African champions still have a busy schedule ahead, with the Unity Cup next week followed by international friendlies against Poland and Portugal in June.
Ahead of those fixtures, head coach Eric Chelle released two separate lists on Wednesday, for both the Unity Cup and the friendly matches.
New England Revolution midfielder Alhassan Yusuf earned a recall to the national team for the first time since November during the World Cup qualifiers and he was included in both squads, giving him the chance to feature in up to four matches over the next month.
Garba Lawal hails Alhassan Yusuf’s Super Eagles return
Alhassan Yusuf has been left out of the Super Eagles squad in the last two team selections by Eric Chelle, but has now earned a return to the national team as he looks to prove himself once again.
The 25-year-old was also omitted from the squad that went on to win bronze at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, and he was not included for the the friendly games against Iran and Jordan in March.
Reacting to his recall, Olympic gold medalist Garba Lawal admitted that Yusuf’s return to the national team was deserved, given his strong performances at club level in Major League Soccer this season.
The 25-year-old has made 13 appearances for the New England Revolution, starting of those matches and has also scored twice while also putting in several impressive displays during the club’s strong start to the campaign.
“Alhassan Yusuf has been fantastic with New England Revolution. I’ve been following him this season – he plays week in, week out, he plays 90 minutes”, the former Santa Clara forward told Soccernet.ng in an exclusive interview.
“Sometimes you see his position change from the holding midfield to the attacking midfield and this shows that the gentleman (Yusuf) is really improving his game and when he plays in the same league like Messi and plays week in, week out, it means the coach likes the way he play.”
Yusuf tipped to shine for Nigeria again
Garba Lawal, who has been closely monitoring Yusuf’s progress in MLS, also believes the midfielder can replicate his club form at international level if he takes to the pitch in the Super Eagles upcoming matches.
“It’s been long he’s been there (in the national team) but now that he’s back, I know his ability and I know he’s capable to do that and I know he has the energy and quality to help the team and I believe he will showcase his talents for people to see him more and more”, he concluded.
Nigeria will begin their Unity Cup title defence against Zimbabwe next Tuesday. A win in that clash would set up a final clash against either India or Jamaica on May 30.
After the tournament, the Super Eagles will turn their attention to two important international friendly games against Poland and Portugal in June, as they continue preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers later this year.
