Nigeria Flying Eagles have handed a call-up to talented Stade de Reims striker Ibrahim Hafiz Umar ahead of the 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations.
Umar made headlines last year when he was invited to train with Chelsea after an impressive goalscoring performance at the Viareggio Cup, where he won the top scorer award with 10 goals in 6 matches.
After a failed move to Chelsea, Umar joined French Ligue 1 club Stade de Reims on a four-year contract last August.
Per All Nigeria Soccer, Flying Eagles coach Aliyu Zubairu has been keeping a close eye on Umar and plans to assess the 19-year-old before finalising his squad for the 2025 U20 Afcon.
Umar, who started his career at Ojodu City Academy, has moved past his failed transfer to Chelsea. He has impressed for Reims’ youth team, scoring 9 goals in 9 matches in the Championnat National 3 – Groupe E. This earned him a promotion to the senior squad, where he made his Ligue 1 debut in a 1-0 loss to Stade Rennais.
Umar has been named in five first-team matchday squads and has featured in three of them.
Nigeria has been placed in a tough Group B at the 2025 U20 Africa Cup of Nations, alongside Egypt, South Africa, and Morocco.