No green light: Chelsea block U18s top scorer from joining Flying Eagles camp ahead of World Cup

Allnigeriasoccer.com can report with certainty that Chelsea have prevented their youth team striker Chizaram Ezenwata from honouring Nigeria's invitation to camp ahead of the Fifa U20 World Cup.

The highly-rated attacker has not been given the green light by Chelsea to travel to Abuja for the training camp.

Chizzy, whose father Ndubuisi Ezenwata, turned out for Gombe United during his playing career, has been flirting with the idea of playing for Nigeria in recent months despite being provisionally cap-tied to his country of birth, England.

Notably, on May 29, 2025, Ezenwata visited the Super Eagles camp in West London, where he was warmly welcomed by head coach Eric Chelle and the players. 

Although Chizzy and his representatives are frustrated by Chelsea's decision not to release the young attacker for Flying Eagles duty, it is important to emphasise that the Premier League club have acted within their rights.

The training camp currently taking place in Abuja falls outside the official Fifa window for international fixtures, meaning Chelsea are under no obligation to release the tri-national forward, who is also eligible to represent Cameroon through his mother.

In his final season as a schoolboy, Ezenwata finished as Chelsea U18s top scorer, netting 12 goals in 20 games across the U18 Premier League and FA Youth Cup, and remarkably made his debut in Premier League 2.

The 16-year-old has been on the radar of the Nigeria Football Federation scouts since his move to Chelsea at U15 level, with his eye for goal making him a prime candidate for the Flying Eagles.

Nigeria are intensifying preparations for the Fifa U20 World Cup in Chile, with manager Aliyu Zubairu keen on assembling the best possible squad.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

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