They forced Chelle - Nigerian commentator fingers NFF after shocking AFCON 2025 selection

Award-winning commentator Devoyce has ignited controversy with explosive claims about Nigeria's recently released AFCON 2025 squad, alleging that head coach Eric Chelle only selected 23 player, with the remaining five imposed by NFF officials.

The allegations come as Nigeria prepares for the tournament in Morocco, with Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, and Wilfred Ndidi headlining a squad that blends established stars with newcomers.

Francis Uzoho's recall over Maduka Okoye and the inclusion of five debutants, Ryan Alebiosu, Usman Muhammed, Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, Tochukwu Nnadi, and Salim Fago Lawal, have raised eyebrows.

But Devoyce, known for his wonderful commentaries on TV and radio, believes something more sinister is at play.

"My postulations? Eric Chelle picked his 23! NFF Technical Department probably made up the rest," Devoyce stated emphatically on X, formerly Twitter. "After all, CAF said respective federations will cater for any addition to the 23. This is likely what happened."

He specifically called out two selections as evidence of interference: "The Chelle I know and have studied deeply over the years as a commentator will never call up Usman Mohammed, he'd never call up Salim Fago. Due respect to these guys and the efforts they make in their little corner... I can take this up with anybody till thy kingdom come."

Devoyce doubled down, challenging observers to spot the pattern: "If you are intelligent you'd easily identify Chelle's 23 from that 28."

The claims echo longstanding concerns about NFF interference in coaching decisions. Nigeria's football history is littered with examples of federations imposing players on coaches, often for political or financial reasons rather than merit.

Devoyce's theory hinges on CAF regulations allowing federations to expand squads beyond 23 players at their own expense, creating a loophole for officials to insert preferred candidates without direct confrontation with the coach.

If Devoyce's claims are accurate, the five newcomers, Alebiosu, Muhammed, Akinsanmiro, Nnadi, and Lawal, become subjects of intense scrutiny.

He specifically named Usman, whose discipline issues (seven yellow cards and one red in 11 matches) have raised questions, and Salim Fago Lawal, a relatively unknown Croatian league player, as obvious NFF additions.

The other three, Alebiosu, Akinsanmiro, and Nnadi, have stronger cases based on current form, but Devoyce's suggestion is that even among them, some may not have been Chelle's choices.

"One thing about Chelle is he'd play the players he can trust... others will only make up the number," Devoyce warned. "If he doesn't trust you enough, you won't play no matter who you are."

This suggests that any NFF-imposed players will remain firmly on the bench throughout the tournament, effectively becoming expensive spectators, a situation that could create dressing room tension and undermine squad harmony.

Nigeria faces Egypt in a friendly on December 16 before opening their Group C campaign against Tanzania on December 23. If Devoyce's allegations prove true, expect certain players to be conspicuously absent from team sheets.

The NFF has not responded to the claims, and Chelle, characteristically tight-lipped, is unlikely to publicly confirm or deny political interference.

But as Nigeria chase a fourth AFCON title, one question looms: Can a divided squad, built through compromise and politics rather than pure meritocracy, truly compete with Africa's best?

The next few weeks will provide the answer.