AFCON 2025
Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle has explained his decision to leave out some high-profile names from the squad selected for this year’s Unity Cup.
Chelle opted for a mix of experience and domestic talent, including 10 players from the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), while also handing veteran forward Ahmed Musa another opportunity to prove himself.
Addressing the absence of top stars like Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman in a press conference, Chelle stated: “We have a lot of players in Nigeria, so we need to give chances to them so they can show us their quality, so it’s difficult for me to talk or think about anything else.”
He emphasized the long-term vision behind his selections: “We have a project, as a group, we want to create an identity, so we need to put some players who can learn quickly and get into the team.
The Unity Cup is a great tournament to try out some players or try out some systems to be ready in September.”
The Super Eagles will face regional rivals Ghana on May 28 as the Unity Cup kicks off.
