Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle is carefully assessing his options as he prepares to name the squad for Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup qualifying playoffs.
In precisely one week, Nigeria will play Gabon in Rabat, Morocco. However, Chelle has not yet issued an official call-up list prior to the crucial match.
The Malian seems to have struck the correct balance in recent games, despite criticism of his tactics and team selection.
In six competitive games under his direction, the Eagles have won four and drawn two, earning 14 points out of a possible 18 in the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifying round.
Chelle recently disclosed that he was not thinking about adding new players to the team since he thinks he already has the best in players like Ademola Lookman, Alex Iwobi, and Victor Osimhen.
However, he also described how he finds Nigerian players overseas and the standards he uses to call them up.
“We’ve built a player-tracking system: we monitor around 80 players every week — roughly 80 matches to watch,” Chelle said.
“Selection is based on several factors — first, regular club appearances; second, individual performance; and third, compatibility with our tactical system. At times, the tactical criterion takes precedence,” he explained.
