The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Eric Chelle

  • Osimhen , Lookman missing  as Chelle named   squads for Unity Cup, Russia

    Osimhen , Lookman missing  as Chelle named   squads for Unity Cup, Russia

    Head Coach Eric Chelle has selected rave-of-the-moment in France, Moses Simon, goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, midfielder Wilfred Ndidi and forward Ahmed Musa among a total of 25 Super Eagles who will execute this month-end’s Unity Cup Tournament in London.

    Conspicuously missing  is in-form  Napoli-owned  Galatasaray striker, Victor Osimhen  and  Atalanta striker, Ademola Lookman.

    Chelle, who admitted that “we’re looking forward to taking part in the Unity Cup as it will give us the chance to try out a few new players in different roles, helping us to strengthen our squad before the matches in September and October,” has included a number of standout Nigeria Premier Football League players in the Unity Cup house-party.

    Junior Harrison Nduka, captain of the CHAN-bound Super Eagles B and of champions Remo Stars, will seek a slot in the defence that also has Semi Ajayi, Bruno Onyemaechi, Igoh Ogbu and fellow home-boys Ifeanyi Onyebuchi, Sodiq Ismaila and Waliu Ojetoye, while Papa Daniel Mustapha, Saviour Isaac and Collins Ugwueze will have to contend with Wilfred Ndidi, Frank Onyeka and Chrisantus Uche in midfield.

    At the fore, Ahmed Musa, Adamu Abubakar and Sikiru Alimi are up against Samuel Chukwueze, Moses Simon, Cyriel Dessers, Nathan Tella, Tolu Arokodare and Kelechi Iheanacho.

    The Unity Cup Tournament, involving Nigeria, Jamaica, Ghana and Trinidad and Tobago, will be staged at the 17,250-capacity Gtech Community Stadium in Brentford, West London.

    The tournament will kick off with the first semi-final on Tuesday, 27th  May as Trinidad & Tobago tackle Jamaica in the first-ever ‘Trini-Jam’ on UK soil. The following day, three-time African champions Nigeria will take on four-time African champions Ghana in the second semi-final, which will come with all the intrigues and variables of a 74-year rivalry between the two continental giants.

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    All four teams will return on Saturday, 31st May for the grand finale, with the losers of the semi-final fixtures featuring in the third-place game, before the Final to determine The Unity Cup 2025 champions.

    For the friendly with Russia’s senior men team at the Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow on Friday, 6th June, Chelle has picked a total of 21 players, with captain William Ekong, fellow defenders Olaoluwa Aina and Bright Osayi-Samuel, midfielders Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Raphael Onyedika, and forwards Victor Boniface and Sadiq Umar joining a number of picks from the Unity Cup cohort.

    SUPER EAGLES FOR UNITY CUP TOURNAMENT:

    Goalkeepers: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania)

    Defenders: Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiacos FC, Greece); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Igoh Ogbu (SK Slavia Prague, Czech Republic); Junior Harrison Nduka (Remo Stars); Ifeanyi Onyebuchi (Enugu Rangers); Sodiq Ismaila (Remo Stars); Waliu Ojetoye (Ikorodu City)

    Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Frank Onyeka (Augsburg FC, Germany); Saviour Isaac (Enugu Rangers); Chrisantus Uche (Getafe CF, Spain); Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes); Collins Ugwueze (Enugu Rangers)

    Forwards: Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Middlesbrough FC, England); Simon Moses (FC Nantes, France); Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Cyriel Dessers (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland); Sikiru Alimi (Remo Stars); Tolu Arokodare (KRC Genk, Belgium); Ahmed Musa (Kano Pillars); Adamu Abubakar (Plateau United)

    Available for training only: Felix Agu (Werder Bremen, Germany).

    SUPER EAGLES FOR RUSSIA FRIENDLY:

    Goalkeepers: Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania)

    Defenders: William Ekong (Al-Kholood FC, Saudi Arabia); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce SK, Turkey); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiacos FC, Greece); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion, England); Igoh Ogbu (SK Slavia Prague, Czech Republic)

    Midfielders: Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City, England); Frank Onyeka (Augsburg FC, Germany); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (Lazio FC, Italy); Chrisantus Uche (Getafe CF, Spain); Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes)

    Forwards: Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Samuel Chukwueze (AC Milan, Italy); Kelechi Iheanacho (Middlesbrough FC, England); Simon Moses (FC Nantes, France); Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Tolu Arokodare (KRC Genk, Belgium); Sadiq Umar (Valencia CF, Spain)

  • Nigeria can still qualify for 2026 World Cup – Chelle

    Nigeria can still qualify for 2026 World Cup – Chelle

    Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle remains optimistic about Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite the team’s shaky start in the qualifiers.

    The 47-year-old Malian tactician, who took over after Nigeria’s winless run in their first four games, led the team to a 2-0 victory over Rwanda in Kigali. 

    However, a recent draw against Zimbabwe has further complicated their path, with Nigeria trailing group leaders South Africa by six points.

    Chelle stressed the importance of winning the upcoming matches, especially the crunch tie against South Africa.

    “It’s an obligation to win in South Africa, but the most important match for us right now is Rwanda in Uyo,” Chelle said.

    “South Africa are a good side but for that game, we cannot afford to let them play. First, we have to beat Rwanda at home, then we will focus on South Africa.”

    The Super Eagles are set to face Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, on September 3, before travelling to take on South Africa on September 7th.

    Read Also: Chelle seeks improvement of Super Eagles’ defence

    With only four games left, Nigeria must win all remaining matches and hope rivals drop points to keep their qualification hopes alive.

     South Africa, looking to return to the World Cup for the first time since hosting it in 2010, remain top favorites to advance.

    Tthe Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is working on a series of friendly matches to prepare the team for the September fixtures. Among them is a proposed friendly against FIFA-banned Russia in June, as well as a four-nation tournament tagged “The Unity Cup,” featuring Ghana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica.

    While these fixtures have yet to be confirmed by the NFF, official announcements are expected in the coming days.

  • Super Eagles captain, Osimhen

    Super Eagles captain, Osimhen

    It is finished. We like listening to ourselves. We dislike being told the bitter truth. We think that things should be swung in our favour simply because we are Nigeria. Indeed. We have forgotten that it is easier to wake up a person deep in sleep than one who is pretending to sleep. For the latter, the pretender, he doesn’t want to listen to you. This is the story of Nigeria’s sports administration succinctly.

    Instead of spending the quiet moments before the game on Tuesday evening reflecting on the game, our busybody sports administrators spent time celebrating a likely deduction of three points from South Africa for fielding an unqualified player in their game against Lesotho last week Friday. Bafana Bafana won the match 2-0. The euphoria from a pyrrhic celebration soon got to the boys. And it was being discussed with the media celebrating what wasn’t in the bag, yet. It is important to ask NFF and those media people who escalated the infringement of the law by South Africa if FIFA would award the points to Nigeria instead of Lesotho.

    Zimbabwe coach Michael Nees mocked the Nigerian media in Tuesday night’s post-match conference where he reminded them of the need to be humble. “I said before that the World Cup qualification is over when it is over. If it is over for us then it is over for Nigeria also,” Nees said. His statement caused some laughter among the Nigerian journalists, and he replied, “You’re laughing, how many points do you (Nigeria) have?”This jab is below the belt.

    Again, we witnessed in Uyo where Nigeria’s Head Coach, Eric Chelle barred visitors, journalists, e.t.c from entering the team’s camp for maximum concentration for the boys. Yet, one of the federation’s sponsors was permitted to showcase their brands with the players captured driving the vehicles a day before the game. You need to have seen Ola Aina’s dexterity on wheels. Let’s ask the federation’s chieftains and Chelle if this exercise wasn’t a distraction. How about those skit-making girls seen on tape creating content from interviewing the players? Our players were the only ones on social media. Pity.

    We have surrendered with Chelle having the audacity to tell the media in a post-match press conference held inside the Stadium of Champions in Uyo on Tuesday night that Nigeria can still qualify for the 2026 World Cup as second best nation from Group C. What do you expect from a person who isn’t a world class manager? But even the task of being second best for Nigeria is a mountain to climb because currently the teams occupying these playoff spots are Gabon (15 points), Cameroon (12 points), Senegal (12 points) and Namibia (12 points).

    Comoros (12 points), Mozambique (12 points) and Burkina-Faso (11 points) are also ahead of the Super Eagles, who are on seven points.

    But for the fact that football is like biscuit where nobody can determine where it would crack, one would have suggested that the Federal Government should authorise the NSC and indeed NFF to begin the preparations towards grabbing the 2030 World Cup qualification ticket like Japan, New Zealand, Iran and Argentina have done with the 2026 edition. These four qualifiers have joined the three co-hosting nations, Canada, Mexico and the United States, as the early birds for the 2026 World Cup competition.

    With seven points and an away game to South Africa, it would require the players to play out their skins to beat Bafana Bafana at home in September. It is achievable arithmetically, but not with these players to prosecute the kill-and-go match plans to upset Bafana Bafana in Johannesburg. We would require all the players to play the game with the kind of passion, enthusiasm and hunger for glory displayed by Victor Osimhen in the last two matches, where he has scored three goals despite being marked tightly by at least two defenders.

    It is important to stress Osimhen’s significant contributions in the two matches. Of course, had Osimhen been part of the campaign from the beginning, perhaps our situation wouldn’t have been as precarious as it is today. Soon, nations playing against Nigeria would work strategies to stop Osimhen from scoring goals in Nigeria’s matches. That will be the day when certain lessons will be learned.

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    In fact, Troost-Ekong has apologised to his teammates and assured fans that the team remains focused on securing a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. “Responsibility taken. Same target ahead. We will do it together! Nigeria Super Eagles,” the 31-year-old defender wrote on Twitter, responding to the backlash.

    Bafana Bafana’s remaining games are in South Africa. It’s almost impossible for them to lose any of these matches, which incidentally include the tie against Nigeria in September. What did Nigeria do when Lesotho and Zimbabwe chose South Africa as their home venues instead of a neutral ground? On Thursday, Lesotho graciously withdrew their protest against South Africa after they fielded an ineligible player in their 2026 World Cup qualifying match.

    As Nigerians, we all want the Super Eagles to be at the Mundial in 2026, but let’s be honest: These players have let themselves down, winning just one game out of six. It’s disturbing that Nigeria failed to beat Zimbabwe over two legs, drawing at home against South Africa and Lesotho and losing to Benin Republic on neutral ground in Cote d’ Ivoire.

    Last week, we advocated that if we won all our six games, we would be fine. Now, the tone has changed to us winning our remaining four matches. For how long would we continue to shift the goalpost? Is it until we move it to displace the crowd? Common NSC, NFF, coaches and the players – you have bungled it!

    Atlanta ’96 Olympic Games gold medal-winning coach Johannes Bonfrère raised concerns over the team’s tactical approach and lack of ruthlessness in front of the goal.

    According to Bonfrere: “I didn’t watch the game, but did the coach not have enough information on Zimbabwe? Did he use the wrong tactics? Or did the players fail to execute the game plan? Was it a loss of concentration? Why couldn’t the attackers score more goals? If they had put away two or three chances, Zimbabwe’s late goal wouldn’t have mattered as much.

    “It’s sad, painful, and unfortunate. Small teams are now looking the Super Eagles in the eye and asking, ‘What can you do?’ No team fears them anymore, and that is worrying.”

    Can Nigeria still qualify for the 2026 World Cup? Not anymore, great patriot. Let us rebuild the Super Eagles with Osimhen as the team’s captain. Any player older than Osimhen should excuse us. We can use the new squad to prosecute our next four qualifiers and see how well they perform.

    Time to infuse the home-based players into the Eagles, beginning with the defenders. don’t you think so? You tell me, dear reader.

  • 2026 WCQ: Chelle bans visitors, journalists from Super Eagles’ camp ahead Zimbabwe clash

    2026 WCQ: Chelle bans visitors, journalists from Super Eagles’ camp ahead Zimbabwe clash

    Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has barred visitors and journalists from the team’s camp ahead of their crucial 2026 World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe on Tuesday.

    Chelle, seeking to maintain full concentration in the squad, called for heightened focus as the team works to strengthen its qualification bid.

    The development was announced in an official statement on Sunday, which also confirmed that the day’s training session would be held behind closed doors.

     However, Monday’s session will be briefly open to the media and the public for just 15 minutes.

    The statement read, “Coach Eric Chelle is not carried away by the win over Rwanda and is demanding maximum concentration from the players ahead of the next game.”

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    The Super Eagles hope to build on their recent victory and secure another crucial win against Zimbabwe.

    “To this end, he has imposed restrictions in and around the team’s camp, no visitors, no journalists.

    Sunday’s training is closed. Monday’s session will be open for the mandatory 15 minutes and this will be shortly after the official press conference.”

  • Super Eagles’ coach demands more inspite Rwanda win

    Super Eagles’ coach demands more inspite Rwanda win

    Super Eagles Coach, Eric Chelle, says the team still needs to improve in spite of the 2-0 victory over the Amavubi of Rwanda on Friday in Kigali.

    The encounter was a matchday 5 fixture of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

    The Malian said at the post match conference that he is happy with the performance of his players against a tough Rwandan side.

    He expressed delight at the win but stressed the need for the team to improve ahead of there next game on Tuesday in Uyo against bottom placed Zimbabwe.

    “I just want to say it was a difficult game because Rwanda is a good side, I know the coach, he is a good coach, we made a great game too.

    “I am so happy and proud of my players, my guys and the Nigerian people” Chelle said.

    He said the team worked a lot in the last one week sourcing information for his players with lots of video sessions after two training practices.

    “I think the victory or the win is normal because in the first half they had only one chance to score.

    “We keep the ball in the 2nd half. We played two to three systems.

    “I am happy now because this is just one game. We have some weaknesses and some strengths, my job is to think about the game project” Chelle said.

    (NAN)

  • Where are our goalkeepers?

    Where are our goalkeepers?

    I don’t envy Super Eagles Head Coach Eric Chelle. He has a daunting task on his hands. I align with his decision to gamble on certain positions in the Super Eagles that require immediate surgery even if it means cutting off the nose to spite the face. These are emergency times for Chelle. Quick fixes? Call it whatever you like. Chelle, you have our backing because the rot in the Eagles is cancerous. Not one to paper over the cracks. Come on, Chelle, make the emergency moves now. Well done.

    Yes, I get irritated reading transfer stories on Nigerians who qualify to be invited to train with the Super Eagles being asked to sign for clubs in novelty leagues such as in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Burkina Faso, Niger, etc, with due respect to the countries. Imagine this transfer,  Wolwalo Adigrat University side in Ethiopia signed goalkeeper Olorunleke Ojo and the illustration picture was taken at one of those Super Eagles invitation camps. Really sad! The only reason I would accept this transfer is if Ojo is an undergraduate in this Wolwalo Adigrat University. What is the matter with the NFF? Ojo, at a time was the best domestic league goalkeeper, earning him repeated Super Eagles invitation letters only to resurface in Ethiopia. This is the reason our good goalkeepers no longer play for European clubs as it was in the past.

    Looking at the clubs where Nigeria’s three chosen goalkeepers are: Stanley Nwabali (Chippa United, South Africa); Amas Obasogie (Singida Blackstars, Tanzania); Kayode Bankole (Remo Stars), all have been invited for the battles against Rwanda on March 21 in Kigali four days later in Uyo against Zimbabwe, one is forced to ask what has happened to our talented goalkeepers? Time was when two or three goalkeepers in the Super Eagles plied their trade in Europe. Not anymore. Can Nigerians feel comfortable watching any of these three goalkeepers at the World Cup against established stars? No chance. More so when there isn’t anyone on the horizon that we can headhunt for in Europe as was our practice, when we used to shop for replacements in weak areas in the Super Eagles.

    Interestingly, Super Eagles goalkeepers at World Cup  beginning with the country’s debut appearance at the Mundial in the USA in 1994  were the late Wilfred Agbonavbare who manned the goalpost for Spanish side, Rayo Vallecano; Alloy Agu  was the regular goalie for Turkey side, Kayserispor and the Super Eagles regular goalkeeper in USA 1994 Mundial, Peter Rufai who brought his experience from playing in such European clubs as K.S.C. Lokeren, K.S.K. Beveren, Go Ahead Eagles, S.C. Farense, Hércules CF, Deportivo de La Coruña, and Gil Vicente FC in Europe, to bear during Nigeria’s 1994 World Cup matches.

    Nigeria participated at the France 98 World Cup with Rufai who had changed clubs from Portugal to Spanish side Deportivo La Coruña, Abiodun Baruwa who played then in Switzerland for FC Sion and Willy Okpara who manned the goalposts in South Africa for Orlando Pirates.

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    At the Japan/ Korea World Cup in 2002, Nigeria took a crisis-ridden Super Eagles squad, yet the team had a tested goalkeeper in Ike Shorunmu who was the regular first choice goalie in Switzerland for Lausanne. Shorunmu was spectacular in the opening game against Argentina. Shorunmu’s heroics ensured that the scores were respective with a nifty header of a corner kick score by Gabriel Batistuta being the only goal of the match.

     The bitter crisis between the players and chieftains of the defunct Sports Ministry threw up a lot of contraptions with Adegboye Onigbinde picked to rescue an almost sunk side. Of course, he had no choice but to pick the best two goalkeepers  namely Austin Ejide of Gabros FC in Nnewi, Nigeria and  Vincent Enyeama of Enyimba FC of Aba. Yes, Enyeama did well against England with some reflex saves against England who played for a draw.

    The flipside to the search for Nigerian goalkeepers in Europe was the report on Tuesday in the media that Maduka  Okoye has been re-registered for this season by his Italia Serie A, Udinese FC.  Okoye had been accused of betting infringements forcing Udinese FC’s management to de-register him for the season. It appears Okoye isn’t guilty. It is a welcome development.

    The crisis in the Eagles at the South Africa 2010 World Cup was awful such that the team had two leaders – the designated NFF recognised by FIFA and the Presidential Task Force headed by His Excellency, the former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi leading the government team. It was a laughable setting yet the team had exposed goalkeepers plying their trade in three Israeli clubs, namely, Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv, Hapoel Petach-Tikva and Hapoel Tel Aviv. Dele Aiyenugba was on the sheet of Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv, Austin Ejide played for Hapoel Petach-Tikva and Vincent Enyeama’s magnetic fingers ensured that Hapoel Tel Aviv got rave reviews from the international media. Recall, Enyeama and Ejide were at the previous World Cup co-hosted by Japan and Korea.

    By the time of the Brazil 2014 World Cup, Enyeama had become a megastar in goal for  French Ligue Un side, Lille OSC with Ejide changing his Israeli side from Hapoel Petach-Tikva to Hapoel    Be’er Sheva and the third goalkeeper being Chigozie Agbim playing for one of Nigeria’s biggest clubs, Enugu Rangers International FC. The crisis in the Eagles in Brazil took an embarrassing dimension with the players refusing to train for the second round game except their $3.8 million debt owed them by the federation was fully paid. The Federal Government promptly paid to make sure it didn’t get into an international disgrace. Rather than train for the game against France, the players, coaches and backroom staff spent training time sharing $3.8 million cash. No prize for guessing right that France beat Nigeria 2-0.

    Russia 2018 World Cup had goalkeeper Francis Uzoho playing in Spain for Deportivo La Coruña bringing his European experience to bear on the team’s wobbly performance. Daniel Akpeyi, who played in South Africa for Chippa United, was officially the second-choice goalkeeper, and Ikechukwu Ezenwa of Enyimba FC Aba was the third-choice. You can see why our prayer sessions would be intense if Nigeria’s flag eventually got hoisted among the comity of nations at the 2026 World Cup, we pray O’ Lord.

    Super Eagles’ defence is lightweight going by the names of those picked such as William Ekong (Al-Kholood FC, Saudi Arabia); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Fenerbahce SK, Turkey); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiacos FC, Greece); Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Olaoluwa Aina (Nottingham Forest, England) and Igoh Ogbu (SK Slavia Prague, Czech Republic). Nigerians would have to pray throughout both matches against injuries and yellow or red cards. Bassey’s tackles are quite rough. He shouldn’t be encouraged to go beyond our half of the pitch because he isn’t a fast runner. He clutches on the opponents’ shirts when he realises that he has been outrun.

    Already, Nahan Tella and Simon are ruled out of both matches in Kigali and Uyo due to injuries sustained playing for European clubs. Big headache for Chelle as he would be left with no choice but to pick from those in the 39-man squad to replace Tella and Simon. Chelle has an impressive squad in the midfield to provide the passes for Ademola Lookman and Osimhen to score goals. I hope our players give their best during both matches. What is your opinion on this subject, dear reader? You tell me.

  • Chelle leads backroom staff to Rwanda Sunday

    Chelle leads backroom staff to Rwanda Sunday

    Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle will lead the team’s backroom staff to Kigali on Sunday ahead of a must-win 2026 World Cup qualifier against home team Rwanda.

    It was further gathered that the coach and support staff will depart on Ethiopian Airlines, which means they will stop over in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, en route Kigali.

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    Nigeria face the Amavubi of Rwanda on Friday, March 21, in Kigali. Rwanda is top of Group C with seven points from four matches, while the Super Eagles are fifth on three points.

  • World Cups 26: NPFL excited over inclusion of four  home-based stars in 39-man squad

    World Cups 26: NPFL excited over inclusion of four  home-based stars in 39-man squad

    The Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) has reiterated its unwavering commitment to improving the quality and visibility of the league following the inclusion of four from the  domestic top flight  league  in Coach Eric Chelle’s 39-man provisional squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

    Speaking in Abuja, NPFL Chairman Hon. Gbenga Elegbeleye hailed the inclusion of the players as a positive development for the league. He emphasized the need to continue creating opportunities for NPFL talents to shine on the national and international stage.

     “The inclusion of Kayode Bankole (Remo Stars), Ahmed Musa (Kano Pillars), Ifeanyi Onyebuchi (Rangers International), and Papa Daniel Mustapha (Niger Tornadoes) in the provisional squad is a testament to their hard work and dedication. It also highlights the quality of players in our league. Consistency from these players will open more doors for others,” Elegbeleye stated.

    He further stressed the importance of increased television coverage, live streaming, and growing followership to ensure NPFL players gain the visibility they deserve. “The more opportunities we create through these platforms, the more our players will be seen by national team selectors,” he added.

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     Pressed about the possibility of setting up a dedicated technical team to monitor NPFL players for national team selection, Elegbeleye expressed confidence in the work being done by the Austin Eguavoen- led technical department of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).     

    “Eguavoen has done a marvellous job, traveling from one venue to another to scout talents. We’ve also seen the newly appointed Super Eagles coach following suit. This shows that our NPFL players are getting the recognition they deserve. While we want more NPFL players in the national team, we are committed to creating avenues for them to be seen and appreciated,” he explained.

    Elegbeleye noted that the inclusion of NPFL players in the provisional squad is a clear indication of the league’s growing influence and the potential it holds.

     With continued efforts to improve visibility and quality, the NPFL is poised to become a powerhouse for nurturing future national team stars.

  • NPFL: Chelle  watches  Kano Pillars edge  Rangers as Remo Stars open 14-gap lead   

    NPFL: Chelle  watches  Kano Pillars edge  Rangers as Remo Stars open 14-gap lead   

    Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle was among the crowd who watched home team Kano Pillars come from behind to beat Enugu Rangers 2-1 today in the NPFL.

    Eric Chelle, according to SCORENigeria, was in Kano to run a final rule on Pillars captain Ahmed Musa, who played the entire duration of the game.

    Rangers stunned the huge crowd at the Sani Abacha Stadium in Kano after 33 minutes, when Bashir Usman put them in front through the penalty.

    However, CHAN Eagles midfielder Rabiu Ali drew the home team level also from the penalty spot in the 42nd minute before Jerry Alex’s diving header on the hour snatched the winner for Pillars to do the double over the defending champions.

    Kano Pillars climbed to fourth in the standings with 42 points from 27 matches, while Rangers are fifth a point behind.

    Meanwhile, Remo Stars  have opened their biggest gap at the top of the NPFL table after they scrapped a 1-0 home win over Plateau United.

    They are now 14 points clear of the chasing pack that include Rivers United and Shooting Stars, who face each other today.

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    Debutant Samson Olasupo struck in the 74th  minute for what proved to be the match winner for Remo Stars.

    Remo Stars captain Junior Nduka missed a penalty in the 38th  minute and was sent off in stoppage time.

    With yesterday’s home win, Kano Pillars climbed to fourth while Abia Warriors slipped to seventh on the table on the back of a 1-1 home draw with troubled Nasarawa United.

    Ikorodu City, the youngest team in the top league with an average age of 21, continued to amaze after a 2-0 home win over Heartland.

    Enyimba are now ninth in the standings after they won 1-0 at Niger Tornadoes thanks to Joseph Atule goal in the second half

  • Belittling domestic coaches

    Belittling domestic coaches

    Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle is back in Abuja after junketing Europe to visit our foreign legion. He would have told them his goals and objectives as the coach of the Super Eagles. Of course, their common goal would be to grab Group C’s sole qualification ticket to participate in the 2026 World Cup. Already the NFF hierarchy is combing the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for a befitting house for Chelle.

    Perhaps, Chelle is also part of the search team looking for a world-class house where he would reside after the day’s work. What it shows clearly is that the former coaches lived in hotels whose cumulative costs could buy a bungalow. Chelle’s house would have a retinue of staff who must be alert as the clock ticks. It would have been nice to see what Chelle’s houses in Mali and France look like, especially their ambience, otherwise, it would be a waste of time and resources except Chelle wants to live in the house, oh sorry palace for the duration of his contract. That would be nice, especially if he attends the domestic league matches around the country unheralded.

    The domestic league this year has been organised with most of the past vestiges thrown into the ocean. What the home-groomed players need include a good training regime, and moral and financial assistance to elevate their self-esteem. There should always be a synergy between the foreign legions that populate the Super Eagles and the domestic leagues to fish out the raw talents at the grassroots who just need to be taught the rudiments of the game to attain stardom when the opportunities fall on their laps. We had foreign coaches (not forgetting Clemens Westerhoff) who used the pedigree in the game to send our good players to teams whose coaches know their onions. There was harmony within the camp until things fell apart in America in 2004, costing Nigeria the busiest platform to recalibrate the boys to conform to the rules of the game.

    My heart sank last Saturday when pictures of Chelle’s visits to key Super Eagles players were released on social media by some of those who visited. Conspicuously missing from the pictures was Austin Eguavoen, the immediate past coach of the team. NFF administrators may argue and rightly so that other domestic coaches would take time to secure entry visas into the countries Chelle and his assistant toured. That reason won’t hold for Eguavoen who has a Belgium citizenship with his daughters living and working in Europe. How much would it cost NFF to ask Eguavoen to accompany Chelle on the trips? What manner of saving costs is this? Eguavoen has been the man who rescues them when things go awry with our senior national soccer teams. Sad.

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    Had Eguavoen been part of the team, he would have sat down with Chelle and his assistance, to engage in discussions and to compare their notes. Chelle would have asked Eguavoen why he dropped some of the names being bandied about in the print and electronic media from the previous squads, especially those who were also dropped during Jose Peseiro’s reign. Is it when the list of players has been made public that such a meeting would be held?

    Media reports suggested the return of Ahmed Musa, Paul Onuachu and Aribo with the NFF stating clearly that decisions about what would happen against Rwanda beginning with the team’s selection boils down to Chelle’s choices, not theirs. The optics are good in terms of choices. But we only hope that Chelle’s choices are not rubber-stamped by the technical department. The technical committee members must interrogate the list to make sure that only those players who are physically fit and play in their teams’ matches weekly are paraded by Chelle, not benchwarmers and recuperating players.

    March 17 is a watershed date that could redefine the country’s football if things go awry (God forbid). The Eagles are expected to beat Rwanda and it hasn’t happened. Most of the encounters have been drawn games which isn’t good for our permutations. We also have forgotten that Rwandans are the group leaders with seven points. And they know what it means to their points haul if they beat Nigeria. Rwandans would surely fight to the finish even if that resolve would break their bones. Wait for it – Rwanda beat Nigeria 3-1 in Uyo in the first leg.

    Chippa United FC of South Africa’s manager, Thabo September has raised a worrisome aspect to Nwabali’s game stressing that he hasn’t overcome the trauma of losing both parents pointing out that: “He’s going through a lot. Him being the number one goalkeeper, I pushed him and said he must play. Sometimes you must listen. For me as a coach, just growing into that.

    “Where we lost it, maybe it’s from the bench. From me, from the coaching side, because my goalkeeper (Nwabali) did plead with me that he was not okay and he wanted to rest,” Thabo September told farpost.

    Lessons learned by Chippa United FC’s manager. One only hopes that Chelle and the technical committee members take this aspect of players’ emotional state of mind into consideration before fielding them in the Rwanda tie that has been tagged ”kill and go,” meaning only victory over the host can put Nigeria in good stead to grab Group C’s sole qualification to the 2026 World Cup. A player’s mental state is critical to how he deploys himself on the pitch all through a game. It is important to remind Chelle that the Rwandans have energy which lasts over the 90-minute duration. So, our boys must gird their loins, otherwise, the two late goals akin to what happened inside the Stadium of Champions in Uyo in the first leg game could recur.

    If the Super Eagles fail to fly in Rwanda, let it be noted here that a brigade of supporters, stakeholders etc contributed largely to it by their needless presence. Rwanda didn’t charter two aircraft of such busybodies to beat Nigeria 3-1 in Uyo. My head on the guillotine, these busybodies would storm the team’s dressing room before the game and at half-time heightening the pressure among the players just they would shorten the time which he ought to have with his boys half-time telling them what to do.

    NFF, how much of Rwanda does Chelle know? Does he have their tapes to study? Hiring two charter jets to convey people for just 90 minutes plus the referee’s added time match explains why the NFF is always cash-strapped. This is a federation that hasn’t been bold enough to tell us if it has paid the players, coaches and backroom staff their outstanding allowances and bonuses. Which should come first, dear reader? You tell me.