Kayode Bankole, the 24-year-old goalkeeper from Remo Stars, recently received his first call-up to the Super Eagles for the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
Bankole is one of two players from the NPFL to earn a call-up to the 23-man squad for the World Cup qualifiers, the other being Niger Tornadoes midfielder, Papa Daniel Mustapha.
Speaking in an exclusive interview, he narrated his first day at the camp. He said, “It has been great, it’s a great feeling for me being in the midst of the big boys, the superstars, it’s amazing.”
“When I was coming, I flew in with some of the NPFL coaches like Coach Daniel who is my coach and Coach Fidelis Ilechukwu. I’m actually familiar with them so we got in together and it was a great feeling,” he added.
Bankole arrived early at the Super Eagles camp in Kigali, Rwanda, ahead of the crucial World Cup qualifying match against Rwanda. He was among the first group of players to report, joining notable figures like Victor Osimhen and Bruno Onyemaechi.