New Super Eagles invitee Nathan Tella is confident that he will be a great addition to the ‘very talented’ Nigerian national team as he awaits his first cap for the country in their 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Lesotho and Zimbabwe.
The Super Eagles will face Lesotho in their first game of the World Cup qualifiers on Thursday at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo, before travelling to Rwanda to play Zimbabwe in the second game of the qualifying series.
Tella, who was handed a maiden call-up into the Super Eagles for the two games, took part in the team’s first training session on Tuesday and reflected on his experience with the squad.
“It was good, obviously I’m with a very talented team, very good player and it’s nice to be a part of, they’ve welcomed me very well and I’m looking forward to the upcoming games”, he told NFF TV.
With Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and AC Milan forward Samuel Chukwueze out of the fixtures, Tella has a chance to feature in the two fixtures even if he doesn’t get a place in the starting lineup.
Tella’s inclusion in the national team further swells Nigeria’s roster of attacking options which also includes his Leverkusen teammate, Victor Boniface.
The 24-year-old believes he has a lot to offer in terms of attack if he gets the chance and hopes to be a consistent part of the national team.
“The fans should look out for somebody who is direct, making a lot of runs in behind and getting into 1v1 situations to dribble, score, assist and help the team.
“I always want to push myself and challenge myself to play with the best and be among the best. I’ve got the opportunity to do it at club level and now I can do it at the international level”, he said.
Born in England, Tella is a product of Arsenal academy alongside Bukayo Saka, Eddie Nketiah and Emile Smith-Rowe. He played for Southampton in the Premier League before joining Burnley on loan.
After a successful stint with Burnley in the Championship, he moved to Bayer Leverkusen for £20 million in the summer and scored his first Bundesliga goal for the club last weekend.
