Remo Stars’ Fantastic Duo Out of Nigeria’s CHAN Squad

Femi Solaja

Remo Stars wing-back, Sodiq Ismail, whose goal opened scoring for Super Eagles Team B in the 3-1 defeat of Ghana’s Black Galaxies will not be part of the Nigerian squad when the African Nations Championship 2025 (CHAN) kicks off next month in East Africa.

Aside from the utility young star, his club teammate, Jide Fatokun, is also out of the tournament.

THISDAY checks revealed yesterday that Sodiq has signed a contract with Albanian top league club, FK Partizani Tirana and is only awaiting the International Transfer Certificate (ITC) to conclude the deal.

By regulation, the African Nations Championship is open only to nationals who must be playing in their countries’ leagues.

The transfer from Remo Stars to another team outside the Nigerian league automatically knocks him out of the African Nations Championship.

Sodiq, who had spent nine years with Remo Stars, starting with the academy side, Beyond Limit, was first called up to the national team when he was handed a starting line-up shirt by Finidi George in Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying match with South Africa in June.

FK Partizani Tirana club that Sodiq is joining is currently second in the 10-team league. Jide Fatokun, it was gathered, is Sudan-bound as he is expected to join Al-Merrikh.