According to a report by OwnGoalNigeria on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, Premier League club Brighton & Hove Albion are reluctant to release Nigerian youngster Zadok Yohanna for international duty with the country's U-23 team ahead of their crucial Olympic qualifying fixtures against DR Congo.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is still waiting for a response from Brighton after sending an official invitation for the 19-year-old winger to join the U-23 squad.

Yohanna has been invited for Nigeria's two-legged encounter against DR Congo in the qualifying campaign for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, with the winner progressing to the final round of the qualifiers.

However, Brighton are reportedly unwilling to allow the youngster to travel because he has only recently returned to training following an extended injury lay-off.

The English club reportedly believes that Yohanna is not yet ready for international football and would benefit more from remaining in England to regain his match fitness through appearances for their youth team.

Despite Brighton's reservations, the Nigerian youngster is keen to represent his country and has reportedly informed his representative of his desire to join the squad.

He is hoping that an agreement can be reached between the club and the NFF.

The situation comes after Yohanna missed Nigeria's previous opportunities to secure his services for international assignments.

Yohanna joined Brighton from Swedish side AIK Stockholm in June 2026, signing a five-year contract that will keep him at the Amex Stadium until June 2031.

The Nigerian attracted considerable attention during his time in Sweden, registering five goals and four assists in 18 appearances for AIK across league and cup competitions.

However, injuries have disrupted his early progress in English football.

Premium Times reported on October 30 that Yohanna had returned to training after missing 11 consecutive matches, with his last appearance for Brighton coming against Norwegian side Tromsø in the UEFA Conference League qualifiers.

Hürzeler also confirmed his return to the training ground, although he did not provide a definite timeline for his return to competitive action.

Nigeria are hoping to qualify for the men's football event at the 2028 Olympic Games, having last featured at the competition in 2016, when the country won a bronze medal in Rio de Janeiro.

With Brighton yet to respond to the NFF's invitation, Nigeria will be hoping the two parties can reach an agreement to make Yohanna available for the important fixtures against DR Congo.