W/C Qualifier: Football fans urge Chelle to focus on active players

Some football enthusiasts in Aba, Abia, have urged the Super Eagles Coach, Eric Chelle, to focus on players who play active football in their club and forget about those who are “bench-warmers”.

The enthusiasts gave the advice following Chelle’s invitation of players to the country’s 2026 World Cup qualifier against Rwanda and Zimbabwe on March 21 and March 25.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Super Eagles will on March 21 face their Rwandan counterparts in a World Cup qualifier in Kigali.

The enthusiasts who spoke to NAN on Tuesday in Aba said that the country had quality players to prosecute the match, but needed to avoid complacency, starting from the Rwanda game.

One of them, Obinna Okeke, said the country had all it takes to reach the World Cup if they can only avoid playing big names instead of focusing on players’ form.

He urged the coach to use players that play regularly for their clubs.

“Our technical crew knows good players, formation and tactics on how to win matches and not prayers”.

Another Enyimba supporter, Ikechukwu Njoku, urged the coach to feature players who are fit and ready to deliver.

“The coaching crew should endeavor to get the needed result, if it means going with home-based players.

He urged the Nigeria Football Federation not to interfere with the team selection, believing that the technical crew would get it right.

Andrew Ijeoma, a player with United Stars Academy, said he would like to see Chelle feature players like William Troost Ekong, Alex Iwobi, Dele Bashiru, Samuel Chukwueze in the first eleven since they play regularly in their clubs.

Ijeoma urged the technical crew to start with the professional players and introduce the home-based players later in the game.

“This will give the home-based players the opportunity to learn what it takes to play for the Super Eagles,”Ijeoma said.

NAN reports that the Eagles trail Rwanda, South Africa and Benin with four points in their group as the three countries top the table with seven points, while the Super Eagles have three points.
NAN