Nigeria’s head coach, Eric Chelle, has admitted that the locally based players invited to the national team still need more time to fully settle into his plans despite their impressive outing against Zimbabwe in the Unity Cup.
The Super Eagles secured a comfortable 2-0 victory over the Warriors on Tuesday evening at The Valley in London, thanks to a brilliant brace from Femi Azeez.
Several players from the Nigeria Premier Football League were included in the squad for the tournament, among them Michael Atata, Aderemi Adeoye, Tosin Oyedokun, Chibueze Oputa, Obinna Igbokwe, and Elias Ochobi.
Speaking after the match, Chelle praised the commitment and effort shown by the home-based stars but stressed that integrating them into the national team setup would take patience and proper development.
“I need some time to work with them and help them become part of the project,” Chelle said after the game.
The Malian tactician explained that adapting to international football comes with its own challenges, especially for players who are still adjusting to the environment abroad.
“Nigeria will continue moving forward, but I understand the situation of these players. For some of them, it is their first experience in Europe, so naturally the pressure was high,” he added.
Despite the challenges, Chelle expressed satisfaction with the display of the NPFL players during the encounter against Zimbabwe.
“As I said before, I am happy with what they showed Nigerians during the match,” he stated.
Chelle also maintained that the team’s long-term ambitions remain intact while he gradually works on blending the domestic talents into the squad.
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