The President of the Nigeria Football Federation, Ibrahim Gusau, has assured Nigerians that more young talents will soon be integrated into the Super Eagles squad under head coach Éric Chelle.
Gusau expressed satisfaction with the team’s steady progress since Chelle’s appointment in January 2025, highlighting the squad’s attacking strength and defensive discipline at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
AFCON Positives Despite Missing Title
Although the Super Eagles fell short of lifting the trophy, Nigeria finished third and emerged as one of the most impressive sides at the tournament.
The team scored 14 goals – eight in the group stage and six in the knockout rounds – making them the highest-scoring side in the competition. They were also the only team that did not lose a match in regulation time, with their only setback coming via penalty shootout.
Gusau said the statistics reflected clear improvement.
“After the AFCON tournament ended, even though they did not win the trophy, they were the team that scored the most goals in the whole competition as well as being the only team that did not lose any matches except for those penalty kicks. That shows the team is getting better,” he stated.
Nigeria also kept clean sheets throughout the knockout rounds and conceded just four goals in the group stage, placing them among the tournament’s strongest defensive units.
Youth Integration Plan
The NFF boss emphasised that blooding young players into the squad remains a major focus for the federation and the coaching crew.
“The most important part is finding some new young talents. There are more players still coming because you know what even makes us have some issues even in trying to introduce more of the young players is that we intend to have some quality friendly matches during the November window, unfortunately, we have to go to the playoffs,” Gusau explained.
He revealed that the federation had initially planned to use international friendly windows to test emerging players but scheduling changes affected that strategy.
“So, if we don’t have the playoffs, we plan to let the coach try some young players during the friendly matches we’re going to play in November.
“It’s not always easy for a coach to just bring in a new player and put him in a big tournament, but moving forward, we have the March window to do that.
“I believe we are still going to give him a chance to bring in some young players who will be added to the team. Nigerians should have higher expectations from the team and the coach.”
Signs of Transition Already Visible
During the AFCON campaign, Chelle handed competitive starts to promising youngsters Salim Fago and Tochukwu Nnadi, signalling the beginning of a gradual transition process within the squad.
With the March international window approaching and World Cup qualifiers on the horizon, supporters can expect a blend of established stars and emerging prospects as the Super Eagles continue their rebuilding phase under Chelle’s leadership.
The federation’s message is clear – the project is not just about short-term results, but about building a sustainable and competitive national team for the future.
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