'I felt disappointed' - Eguavoen questions Eric Chelle over Super Eagles AFCON 2025 squad

Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Technical Director Austin Eguavoen has expressed disappointment over the complete absence of Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) players in the Super Eagles squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

Speaking in an interview with Footy Africa, Eguavoen said several players from the domestic league were good enough to make the final squad but were overlooked for the tournament in Morocco.

Eguavoen questioned the logic behind excluding home-based players, especially when some squad members may not feature at all during the competition.

“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.

The former Super Eagles coach warned against judging the NPFL solely based on Nigeria’s struggles at the African Nations Championship (CHAN), which is reserved for home-based players.

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.

“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.”

Despite his concerns, Eguavoen made it clear that the NFF would not impose players on head coach Eric Chelle, stressing that team selection remains the coach’s sole responsibility.

“We can only advise him; we cannot force players on him. I must also say that he has a lot of respect for the players and wants to see how he can gradually bring them through. We have discussed this a few times, but the timing has to be right,” Eguavoen explained.

Eguavoen also suggested that Chelle’s limited exposure to the domestic league may have affected player assessment, urging the coach to spend more time 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," he added.