Chelle Talks About Challenges in Super Eagles Selection

Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has said that getting into the Nigeria squad is tougher now. He pointed out the strong competition for places in every part of the team.

Chelle mentioned that any player looking to join the team must do better than experienced players already in key roles, no matter which position they play.

“It’s very difficult to enter in that national team. If you see all the positions, you want to play in centre-back, you have Calvin Bassey, you have Semi Ajayi, Benjamin Fredericks, Igoh Ogbu, Emmanuel Fernandez. You want to play on the full-backs, you have Ola Aina, Bruno Onyemaechi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Zaidu Sanusi,” Chelle said.

He also noted that the fight for positions goes beyond defense. In midfield and attack, the Super Eagles have some of the best players in Africa.

“You want to play in the midfield, you know the magician Alex Iwobi. The reality is you have to be better than all of these guys to enter that team. You want to play like a striker? Victor Osimhen is the best striker in the world. So, guys, come, this is not a present. You have to give everything, the intensity, the aggressiveness. If you deserve to play for the qualifying to AFCON, I have no problem with that,” he said.

Chelle has made big changes to the Super Eagles squad lately. He has given senior debuts to several new players during the Unity Cup in London, where Nigeria won after beating Jamaica 3-0 in the final. New players like Femi Azeez, Owen Oseni, Arthur Okonkwo, and Rafiu Durosinmi joined the team. Abdullahi Bewene and Christian Akpan also got recent call-ups.

Chelle explained that these changes were made to improve the overall quality of the squad and to help Nigeria catch up with the best teams in Africa.

“We have analysed our game over the past year and have tried to bring in players who can help the team grow. We need to improve because, for me and for everyone, it is often the smallest details that make the difference between being the best team and winning a trophy,” he said.

The coach’s focus on competition for places comes at a time when his future with the Super Eagles is uncertain. His contract talks with the Nigeria Football Federation are still ongoing. Chelle has also said sorry to Nigerians for the team’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup and their semi-final exit at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Despite this, he wants to keep leading the team.