Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has intensified efforts to ensure more Nigeria-eligible players commit their international futures to the country instead of representing other nations.
According to a report by owngoalnigeria., Nigeria missed out on qualification for the FIFA World Cup, while several players eligible to play for the Super Eagles featured for other nations during the tournament.
Among them were France winger Michael Olise and England trio Bukayo Saka, Ebere Eze, and Noni Madueke, all of whom progressed to the semi-finals with their respective teams.
Chelle is reportedly keen to reverse the trend, believing Nigeria can benefit from a strategy similar to Morocco’s, which has successfully integrated players born abroad into its national team setup.
As part of the plan, the Malian tactician intends to use his additional role as Nigeria’s Under-23 coach to identify and introduce talented overseas-born players at youth level before they graduate to the senior national team.
To strengthen the recruitment process, Chelle has also appointed a scout dedicated to monitoring foreign-based, Nigeria-eligible players.
The scout will work as part of both the Super Eagles’ and the Under-23 coaching staff.
The coach believes early engagement with these players will improve their integration into Nigeria’s football system and reduce the likelihood of them committing their international futures to other countries before reaching the peak of their careers
