Chelle eyes new talents, NPFL stars for Unity Cup

By Tosin Omojola

Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, has revealed plans to give opportunities to new foreign-based players and standout performers from the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) at next month’s Unity Cup in London.

The tournament will serve as part of his rebuilding process following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for this year’s FIFA World Cup.

The Super Eagles are set to defend the Unity Cup title they won under Chelle, beginning with an opening match against Zimbabwe on May 26.

Speaking ahead of the competition, Chelle described the tournament as a key platform to assess fresh talents and expand the national team pool.
“The Unity Cup provides a platform to assess new players,” he said.

“I will scout across Europe to invite players of Nigerian descent, as well as those who have previously been called up but are yet to feature. Top performers from the NPFL will also be considered, as I plan to monitor several domestic league matches between now and the end of the season.”

However, the coach noted that a different approach would be adopted for the high-profile international friendlies scheduled for June.

“For the major warm-up games against Poland and Portugal, I will rely on my first-team squad. These matches present an opportunity to improve our position in the global rankings if we secure positive results” said Chelle.