By Obaloluwa Joshua, LAGOS
Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle has revealed plans to give new players an opportunity to prove themselves at the upcoming Unity Cup in England.
The invitational tournament, scheduled for next month, will feature Nigeria, Zimbabwe, India, and Jamaica. Nigeria will kick off the competition against Zimbabwe at The Valley, home of Charlton Athletic, on Tuesday, May 26.
Chelle emphasized that the Unity Cup will serve as a platform to scout and evaluate fresh talent.
He noted that players such as defenders Benjamin Fredrick and Igoh Ogbuh were discovered during last year’s edition, highlighting the competition’s importance in identifying new prospects.
“The Unity Cup provides a platform to assess new players. I will comb Europe to invite players of Nigerian descent, as well as those who have been previously called up but are yet to feature,” Chelle said.
The Malian tactician also confirmed that home-based players will once again be given opportunities, just as he included 10 Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) players in last year’s squad.
“Top players from the NPFL will also be considered. I will be monitoring several domestic matches between now and the end of the season,” he added.
Following the Unity Cup, the Super Eagles are scheduled to play high-profile friendlies against Poland and Portugal in June.
Chelle stated that he will rely on his regular first-team players for those matches.
“For the big warm-up games against Poland and Portugal, I will feature my first-team players. These are the kind of matches that can improve our global ranking if we win,” he said.
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