Former Nigeria international Friday Ekpo has questioned Eric Chelle’s suitability to continue as Super Eagles head coach, arguing that the Malian tactician has failed to build sufficiently on the progress made earlier in his tenure.
Ekpo’s criticism comes after Nigeria’s troubling start to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign, highlighted by the recent 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau following an unconvincing 2-1 victory over Madagascar.
The former Super Eagles midfielder expressed concern over Chelle’s recent team selections and believes Nigeria should be seeing greater development from the national team.
Ekpo also renewed his long-standing concern over opportunities for players from the Nigeria Premier Football League, insisting the domestic competition should provide a genuine pathway into the senior national team.
His position on home-based players is not new. Earlier this year, Ekpo questioned Chelle’s emphasis on scouting Europe-based players and asked why outstanding NPFL performers were not being integrated more consistently.
“When do you really want to have the home-based players in the national team?” Ekpo said at the time. “You can say you want to have them in this game and in the other game you won’t use them.”
He also argued that players competing domestically and in CAF club competitions need national-team exposure to continue their development.
“It is that type of experience these lads need,” he added, while advocating a better blend between Nigeria-based and foreign-based players.
Ekpo’s latest criticism represents a notable shift from his position earlier in 2026. Following Nigeria’s bronze-medal finish at the 2025 AFCON, he praised the team’s performance, while in June he welcomed the decision to give Chelle greater contractual stability.
The former midfielder, who represented Nigeria between 1987 and 1993, now believes recent performances demand fresh scrutiny of the coach’s direction.
With Nigeria preparing to face Russia in an international friendly, Ekpo’s message is that improvement must extend beyond results.
For him, better selections, meaningful opportunities for domestic players and visible progress in the team’s development must become part of the Super Eagles’ next chapter.
