Eric Chelle's secret to unearthing gems like Ilenikhena, Fredrick

Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has revealed the thinking behind his search for emerging Nigerian talent across the globe, insisting that discovering new players is a key part of his responsibility.

The Malian tactician has already handed several youngsters their international debuts, with George Ilenikhena and Moses Usor both scoring on their first appearances as Nigeria came from behind to beat Madagascar 2-1 in Uyo.

Ilenikhena and Usor were the latest beneficiaries of Chelle’s willingness to look beyond Nigeria’s established stars, with the Al-Ittihad striker cancelling out Ehsan Kari’s opener before Usor came off the bench to score the winner.

Isaac James was also included in the squad for the Madagascar clash but remained an unused substitute, with Chelle choosing the more experienced Bruno Onyemaechi at left-back.

The Super Eagles coach has also been tracking Nigerian players based outside the country, including Benjamin Fredrick in England, Olakunle Olusegun in Russia and Abdullahi Bewene in the Czech Republic.

Asked what motivates him to search for Nigerian players around the world, Chelle said scouting was an obligation that came with his position.

“This is a part of my job, this is in my contract so I have to do it. When I speak with my players I tell them every time the love I have for this national team,” Chelle said.

“There’s a lot of good generation in the country and I have to continue, even if I stay one year, two years, three years. I cannot leave and do nothing.”

Chelle has already handed international debuts to Ryan Alebiosu, Tochukwu Nnadi, Philip Otele, Emmanuel Fernandez, Femi Azeez, Chibuike Nwaiwu, Tolu Arokodare and Felix Agu, among others.

The sheer number of Nigerian players scattered across different leagues makes Chelle’s task considerably more demanding.

The former Mali coach is now also responsible for Nigeria’s Olympic national team, meaning his scouting network must cover even more potential players who could eventually progress to the senior side.

“I try to do my job, I try to scout all the players that this country has. It is very difficult because we have maybe 800 players in the world, so sometimes it is difficult for me to find a good player,” Chelle explained.

“And now I have the U23 team so I have to find some good players for that national team, so I just do my job.”

For Chelle, the emergence of Ilenikhena and Usor offers an early indication of what can happen when Nigeria’s wider pool of talent is properly explored. His challenge now is to keep searching for players capable of making the same immediate impact.