SCORENigeria can exclusively report that coach Eric Chelle is in desperate search for energetic defensive and attacking midfielders to boost the Super Eagles engine room.
Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi and Ademola Lookman have played in the middle of the park in the first two games of the French coach.
He now demands more as the Super Eagles continue to battle to stay alive in the 2026 World Cup qualifying series.
The Super Eagles will play three friendlies during the June international break and the former Mali coach will hope to address the emergency situation in the team’s midfield.
“The coach is looking for much more energy in midfield,” the team official told SCORENigeria
“He is therefore on the lookout for both defensive and attacking midfielders, who will give everything from start to finish because his football is all about intensity.”
Leicester City star Ndidi has been the Super Eagles first-choice in defensive midfield for several years now, but close watchers argue that injuries have slowed him down considerably in recent times.
The debate has continued to rage on about Iwobi’s best position in the Super Eagles.
Is he the creative central midfielder like his uncle ‘Jay Jay’ Okocha was in his hey days for the national team or is he best on the flank?
Fans did not see the best of Ademola Lookman in the two games against Rwanda and Zimbabwe as he played behind top striker Victor Osimhen.
The reason we have been doing badly is lack of creative midfielders. Both ndidi and iwobi apart from lacking the status of world class do not have the consistency of good midfielders to man effectively that position. Nigeria is not so blessed with world class midfielders and defenders unlike the striking positions.
Let Chelle pick attacking midfielders and defenders from the local league and he will not be disappointed..
Nigeria already has enough defensive midfiders frank onyeka and alhassan Yusuf. Eric chelle is not a good coach. He should have brought either Igbo or Jordan to defend the goal scored again Zimbabwe. How can he say he has little faith in players playing in europe.even in uefa competitions. How comes south Africa and Rwanda have faith in their locally based players who are playing and winning games. The Nigerian coach is just a fake guy. You can’t say you have no faith in players playing in Europe. Nonsense just