Sports facilities expert and Monimichelle Sports CEO Ebi Egbe has raised questions over the Super Eagles’ preparation for their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Madagascar, insisting that Nigeria must prepare for the specific playing conditions they will encounter rather than depend solely on the quality of their Europe-based stars.
Nigeria will open their qualifying campaign against Madagascar at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on September 25, before travelling to Bissau to face Guinea-Bissau four days later.
But for Egbe, assembling talented players is only one part of preparing properly for an international fixture.
“The key issue is not simply whether Nigeria has talented footballers. It is whether the coaching and technical teams have adequately prepared those footballers for the actual match conditions,” Egbe said.
Speaking from his experience as a professional groundsman, Egbe argued that footballers accustomed to carefully maintained European pitches can encounter different technical and physical demands when playing on surfaces where ball movement, traction, levels and bounce may differ.
He stressed that his argument should not be interpreted to mean Europe-based players are incapable of performing effectively in African conditions.
Instead, Egbe believes the coaching staff must ensure their preparation takes account of the environment in which matches will actually be played.
“A player performing exceptionally well on a carefully maintained European pitch may face a different technical and physical challenge on an African playing surface with inconsistent ball roll, uneven levels, variable traction or unpredictable ball bounce,” he said.
Head coach Éric Chelle has selected a squad featuring established Europe-based players including Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman and Moses Simon for the opening qualifiers.
For Egbe, however, individual quality should be complemented by preparation tailored to the conditions.
His question ahead of Madagascar is therefore straightforward: are the Super Eagles merely assembling their best players, or preparing those players for the exact environment in which Nigeria’s AFCON campaign will begin?
