Ex-international winger, Dimeji Lawal is picking positives from the extended period within which the Super Eagles’ camp has been busy since last week up till now, as he believes it would accord the coach, Eric Chelle enough time to blend the squad’s foreign-based stars with players invited from the Nigerian Professional Football League (NPFL).
Sports247 reports that Lawal, who shot to limelight in the silver-winning Golden Eaglets’ squad at the 1987 FIFA U17 World Cup in Canada, reckoned that playing two matches in London during the Unity Cup and having another friendly versus Russia this Friday is a great opportunity for Chelle to stay longer with the players and instil his football strategy into the invited lads.
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The ex-winger, who was fondly called ‘Poropo’ during his playing days, added: “This is the phase for him to be able to identify his players and work closely with them.
If all he does during the season is to have only two or three days to work with them players, now he will have enough time to see them in different games.
So, he will be able to fully introduce his ideology and philosophy of football.
“You can’t do that in a proper tournament, because there’s no time enough for that.
But, during this period, he can work with them extensively and tell them this is the way he wants them to play.”
Dimeji went on to analyse Chelle’s decision to start three home-based players in last week’s match against Ghana, then used six of them all together in his team’s 2-1 win, after which he has now retained some of them for Friday’s high-profile friendly game away to Russia.
“It’s also another avenue for him to see those home-based players. I’ve always been clamouring for their inclusion. There’s nothing stopping three or four of the home-based who can push the foreign-based players to the limit,” Lawal reasoned with affirmation.
