Eguavoen Criticises Chelle for Snubbing NPFL Players at AFCON 2025
Austin Eguavoen, Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has voiced his disappointment over Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle’s decision to exclude Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) players from the squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Speaking to Footy Africa, the 1994 AFCON winner argued that Nigeria’s poor showing at the last African Nations Championship (CHAN) should not be used as a yardstick to judge the quality of NPFL players.
He insisted that at least three or four home-based players could have been included in the 28-man squad, noting that some of those selected for AFCON barely featured in matches.
‘I felt disappointed that we did not include some NPFL players in the AFCON squad. Some players in the team may not even get a minute of action, so why couldn’t we include a few players from the local league? At least three or four would have been better,’ Eguavoen said.
He added: ‘The players are not bad, and just because we didn’t do well at CHAN doesn’t mean we should throw the baby out with the bathwater. That said, I think this is something we need to look into because it speaks volumes when players come directly from the local league into a major tournament like AFCON.’
Eguavoen stressed that squad selection remains Chelle’s prerogative, though he believes the Malian coach respects NPFL talent and will eventually integrate them.
He urged Chelle to spend more time in Nigeria to better monitor local players.
‘I believe those boys will get their chance if they continue to perform well. He has visited some venues, but one thing I would like us to discuss and push for is for him to stay more in Nigeria. If he stays in the country more often, he will have better opportunities to visit venues and watch players. If he doesn’t, it becomes more difficult.’
