George Osazehmen Ilenikhena (born 16 August 2006) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad and the Nigeria national team.
Early life Born in Lagos, Nigeria, George Ilenikhena arrived in France aged 3, growing up in Antony, Hauts-de-Seine.
Club career Early Career Having made his way through all of the youth levels of the amateur Antony Football Evolution, George Ilenikhena joined the professional club of Amiens that was just relegated to Ligue 2, for the 2021–22 season. During that season he scored a total of 24 goals for the under-17 national side, also playing and scoring in the Coupe Gambardella. This drew the attention of clubs in France and abroad during the summer 2022, while he was still just aged 15. Ilenikhena made his professional debut for the Amiens SC on 19 November 2022, during a 10–0 home Coupe de France win to the Aiglon du Lamentin. He came on as a substitute for Jérémy Gelin, as his side was already 8–0 up. Having fully moved from the youth teams to the National 3 reserve team, Ilenikhena still kept on training regularly with the first team.
Royal Antwerp
On 29 June 2023, Ilenikhena signed for Belgian Pro League champions, Royal Antwerp, on a four-year deal, for a reported fee of €6 million. On 11 October, he was named by English newspaper The Guardian as one of the best players born in 2006 worldwide. On 13 December, he scored his first Champions League goal in the 92nd minute of stoppage time, securing a 3–2 victory against Barcelona to be his club's first ever win in the competition.
AS Monaco On 25 July 2024, Ilenikhena signed for Ligue 1 Club, AS Monaco. Later that year, on 19 September, he scored his first goal for the club, securing a 2–1 victory against Barcelona in the opening match of the Champions League league phase.
Al-Ittihad On 3 February 2026, Ilenikhena moved to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ittihad from AS Monaco for a reported fee of €33 million, signing as a replacement for Karim Benzema.
International career Ilenikhena first featured with France youth teams in the summer of 2021, as he was selected with the Under-16.. Ilenikhena switched allegiance to Nigeria and made a scoring debut for the Super Eagles in their first match of the 2027 Afcon qualifiers on September 25th, 2026.
Style of play Ilenikhena is a quick centre-forward, Philippe Hinschberger, the coach of his debut with Amiens, describes him as a strong left-footed player, with an outstanding ability to attack the depth of the field.
He mentioned Cristiano Ronaldo and Kylian Mbappé as his two favourite players.
Career statistics Club
+Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionClubSeasonLeagueNational cupEuropeOtherTotalDivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAmiens B2022–23Championnat National 3106–––106Amiens2022–23Ligue 217210––182Royal Antwerp2023–24Belgian Pro League3785561104914Monaco2024–25Ligue 12331172103262025–26Ligue 11522230—204Total38533102105210Career total10221981632012932
International goals Scores and results list Nigeria's goal tally first. No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 25 September 2026 Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, Nigeria 1–1 2–1 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
Honours Royal Antwerp Belgian Super Cup: 2023
References
External links Profile at the AS Monaco FC website