Head coach of Nigeria’s senior national team, Eric Chelle, has come under criticism for allegedly overlooking players who are active in top African leagues.
Since taking charge over a year ago, Chelle has largely focused on players based in Europe. His only selections from the African leagues have been goalkeepers Stanley Nwabali, formerly of Chippa United in South Africa, and Amas Obasogie of Tanzania’s Singida. Notably, no outfield player from any African league has earned a call-up during this period.
This has sparked concern among football stakeholders, with agent Michael Stanley questioning the fairness of the approach.
“I don’t think it’s right to focus only on players based in Europe,” he said.
Stanley highlighted several players currently excelling across African leagues who, in his view, deserve consideration.
“We have Onuche Ogbelu performing well in Tunisia with Esperance, and Emmanuel Ogbole is currently one of the standout players in that league,” he noted.
He also pointed to other in-form talents: “Sodiq Awujoola is doing well in Egypt with Cleopatra, and Etiosa Ighodaro is also making an impact at Kaizer Chiefs in South Africa. These leagues are competitive and consistently produce players good enough for the national team.”
According to him, the situation suggests a deeper issue within the selection process.
“To me, there are signs of bias in the current selection process, and the scouting system hasn’t been entirely fair,” he concluded.
The growing criticism centers on the belief that players performing strongly within Africa are being unfairly overlooked despite their consistent displays.
Should we send you latest update about your favourite sports and team?
Enter you email in the box below and hit the subscribe button to join our teaming 876+ sports community.
