Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has challenged the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) players invited to the national team to prove their worth ahead of the Unity Cup tournament in London, insisting that places in the squad must be earned through performance and commitment.
The Malian tactician handed invitations to eight home-based players as Nigeria began preparations to defend the four-nation tournament title.
Among the NPFL stars called up are Tosin Oyedokun, Aderemi Adeoye, Michael Atata, Tijani Al Ameen, Chibueze Oputa, Obinna Igboke, Ayobami Junior and Elias Ochobi, as Chelle continues to assess talents within the domestic league setup.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference ahead of Nigeria’s opening clash against Zimbabwe on Tuesday, Chelle made it clear that the opportunity handed to the players was not a favour but a test of their quality and readiness for international football.
“Of course, this is a test. This is not a present. I didn't give them a present,” Chelle warned. “This is a bad present, because they come and play, if they are good, they stay, if they are bad?”
The former Mali coach stressed that the invited players deserved their call-ups because of their performances over the course of the season but warned that breaking into the Super Eagles squad permanently would require consistency and exceptional performances.
“This is not a question of Eric is nice, he gives some chance to the player. They deserve to be here because they play well during one year,” he noted.
“Now they are here, this is not the end, because this is the beginning. It is very difficult to enter the national team.”
Chelle further highlighted the intense competition across every department of the Super Eagles squad, pointing to the quality of established stars currently occupying those positions.
“If you see all the positions, you want to play in centre back you have Calvin Bassey, Semi Ajayi, Benjamin Fredrick, Igor Ogbu, Fernandez,” Chelle said.
“You want to play fullbacks, you have Ola Aina, Bruno Onyeamachi, Zaidu Sanusi, and Osayi-Samuel. You want to play in the midfield, you have the magician Alex Iwobi, the reality you have to be better than all of these guys to enter that team.”
“You want to play as a striker, you have Victor Osimhen the best striker in the world.”
The coach also urged the home-based players to approach the tournament with intensity, aggression and determination if they hope to secure future opportunities, including a place in Nigeria’s squad for the next Africa Cup of Nations.
“When you come this is not a present, you have to give everything, the intensity and aggression and if you deserve to play in the AFCON I have no problem with that,” he added.
Nigeria will compete against India, Zimbabwe and Jamaica in the friendly tournament taking place in London.
The Super Eagles will begin their campaign with a crucial clash against Zimbabwe as they aim to secure a positive start to the competition.
A victory for Nigeria would book a place in the final, where they would face either Jamaica or India.
Adeyemi Adewale
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