A veteran coach in the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL), Mohammed Baba Ganaru, has absolved the domestic championship and declared that Super Eagles’ technical adviser, Eric Chelle, should be blamed for the country’s misfortune at the ongoing Championship of African Nations (CHAN 2024).
Sports247 reports that, while several analysts, ex-players, and fans believe the NPFL does not have the required exposure standard and level to help home-based players compete favourably on the continent, Ganaru insists Chelle erred in his squad list for the championship.
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Ganaru, who has coached top NPFL clubs like Kano Pillars, Wikki Tourist of Bauchi, Lobi Stars of Makurdi, and Akwa United of Uyo, pointed out that two earlier teams had won bronze and silver in the same competition, but opined that the current squad falls short of those from the past.
He stressed, “I don’t agree with that statement (of those blaming the NPFL) because other teams have done better than this one. This is our worst outing.
“It’s not an issue about the quality of our league. It’s only because they did not select the correct players to represent us.”
He pointed out further that some of the better players that Chelle took to CHAN 2024 were benched, while the coach relied heavily on players from the NPFL champions, Remo Stars of Ikenne.
Ganaru expatiated, “How will you assemble a national team with nine players from one club, yet they can not show anything? Look at the league’s highest goal scorer. He was on the bench.
“Most of the players who did well during the qualification stage and qualified us are no longer in the team. That is not how they started.
“He started with a different set of players, but when it comes to the competition, he goes and gets another set of players. So, I think a lot of things should be addressed.”
Meanwhile, backed by Showtime, a leading brand in football development, for on-the-spot reports from CHAN 2024, Sports247 gathered that Chelle is looking into the prospects of lining up against Congo on Tuesday, in the team’s last match, many of the players who are yet to taste action at the competition.
A win for the CHAN Eagles would see Nigeria finish third in Group D, as Congo currently has two points; but a victory for them could see them qualify ahead of either Senegal or Sudan, who both have four points ahead of their simultaneous clash on the same day in Zanzibar.
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