Coach Eric Chelle has named a decent squad of players good enough to win the CAF World Cup Playoffs next week in Morocco and that way stay on course to qualify for the Mundial after hope was lost.
The former Mali coach has been most pragmatic in his selection as he has picked players he has worked with since he played his first game against Rwanda in Kigali in March.
With the team barely able to take in two full training sessions before the match against Gabon Thursday evening, the coach needs to get through the message to his troops within the shortest possible time.
This will most likely be the core of the squad for the 2025 AFCON in Morocco next month barring injury and loss of form.
Injured Ola Aina and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru will be two players to be considered once they are fit again.
The recall of Udinese shot stopper Maduka Okoye catches the eye against the instability displayed by Stanley Nwabali in recent games for the Super Eagles.
Okoye, who has been reinstated to the starting XI of his Italian club soon after he served out his two-match ban for a betting-related offence, is the best competition in the Super Eagles goal for Nwabali.
He has put behind the blunder that cost Nigeria a spot in the quarterfinal of the delayed 2021 AFCON in Cameroon three years ago.
Another exciting addition to the squad is Sevilla dribbling wizard Chidera Ejuke, who ensure a fiercer competition on the wings for Moses Simon and Samuel Chukwueze.
Teams at the Playoffs may plan to park the bus and Ejuke will be one man who can unlock such defences.
Chidozie Awaziem has been pulling down trees with his form at French Ligue 1 club FC Nantes and has now recovered fully from injury to make his team’s matchday squad against Le Havre this weekend.
Giant striker Paul Onuachu will most probably be the biggest omission going by his red-hot form at Trabzonspor, where he is the leading scorer in the Turkish Super Lig with seven goals.
He last featured for Nigeria in June 2024 and his poor numbers for the national team must have worked against his recall.
I WANT TO USE THIS MEDIUM TO PRAISE COACH ERIC CHELLE, FOR BASE HIS INVITATION OF PLAYERS ON QUALITY, & POTENTIAL. (NOT BY EGO, SENIORITY, SENTIMENT OR USELESS EXPERIENCE WITHOUT FITNESS).
## THE FOLLOWING PLAYERS LISTED BELOW HAS NOTHING TO OFFER IN SUPER EAGLE TEAM AGAIN, NO MATTER WHAT THEY ARE PLAYING PRESENTLY.
** AHMED MUSA( useless experience (captain) player in AFCON2023)
** PAUL ONUACHU (He is a European club goal scorer DECIEVER. His style of play doesn’t suit super eagle team)
**IHEANACHO ( His Ego/ seniority doesn’t count on the field of play)
** SADIQ UMAR (He always been invited base on quota system (not merit). His style of play doesn’t match Super eagle team).
**BONIFACE (Despite not scoring, he doesn’t show quality on the field of play)
**JOSEPH ARIBO ( He is too slow/sluggish
while playing in Africa soil.)
** TAIWO AWONIYI (He is always fortunate to be scoring goals in clubside. He always find it difficult click in Super eagle team)