It began with conflicting information in a media statement/press release from the information department of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). The headline stated in part, ‘Chelle lists Ekong, Osimhen, 52 others…’ but the very first paragraph of that article revealed it was ‘…a provisional list of 55 players…’
Sadly, many of our colleagues in the Fourth Estate went to town with elaborate reports stating that 54 players were invited; while several others counted the listed names and put it at 55.
That soon generated a comical debate online, and a recurring double-question erupted: How many players did Super Eagles’ coach, Eric Chelle invite? 54 or 55?
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Consequently, I thought at length and asked myself: Is there any other phrase that should be used to label the Super Eagles’ latest squad roster than ‘Chelle’s List Of Confusion?”
Sadly, though, it comes at a point in time when we can’t afford anything short of smooth oysters in our build-up to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON 2025) in Morocco. It comes at this period in which serenity of focus is needed to usher our team into The Atlas Nation (not confusion).
As the countdown gets stiffer towards the start of AFCON 2025 on December 21st, we cannot afford to allow words like bedlam, hurly-burly, hoopla, discord, logjam, chaos, uncertainty or quagmire herald the advent of our Super Eagles into Rabat, Morocco. Sadly (again), the reverse of that is what is happening.
Rather than have a smooth countdown, Nigeria prefers one riddled with confusion, incoherence, diatribe, ambiguities, distractions, irrelevancies and inconsistencies. Those are strong words; but all of which I find apt at this point in time to open our eyes and highlight many contentious issues that Chelle’s provisional list inevitably stirred.
The number one point in this regard is that the Franco-Malian gaffer apparently allowed himself to be pulled into the endemic sentimental factor known as ‘settlement’ in Nigeria’s socio-political fabric.
One symbolic truth about ‘the settlement factor’ in Nigeria is that we often love to include people on a roll call of invitees or list of honours, not just because they deserve to be there or that they should be there, but because we don’t want them to get angry for not been included (overlooked or forgotten).
So, in the spirit of ‘let’s include them so they don’t get angry,’ Chelle allowed himself to be muscled into rolling out an overbloated squad list that includes players he knows will not even be at the physical camp when it opens on Wednesday in Rabat not to talk about the fact that they surely will not make his final squad list for the competition!
Rather than look at the essence of time and invite only 25 of Nigeria’s core players, Chelle went about playing to the gallery. That’s despite him fully knowing that he will barely have a week to build his team after meeting CAF’s deadline for all final lists to be submitted on December 11th.
Rather than face the fact that there’s no time for ‘experimentation,’ Chelle opted for ‘bandwagon effect’ in order to make people happy. So, some home-based players are listed, previous misfits recalled, unheralded rookies unearthed, team roles duplicated and a set of siblings reunited.
Ordinarily, had there been probably a month of preparations available, I would have described Chelle’s list as ‘a welcome development.’ But, with less than two weeks available to him from December 15th (when clubs will be forced to release their players) and December 23rd (when the Eagles’ first match comes up against Tanzania), inviting 55 players (or 54?) becomes redundant and distractive.
Apart from the ‘settlement factor’ found in Chelle’s list, there’s also a hint of desperation. That appears to be the case with the return of several players who had been tried severally in various positions during less strenous circumstances but failed to paint themselves in glory.
However, probably due to the yet-to-heal wound of Nigeria’s failed 2026 World Cup quest, Chelle is frantically looking into how he can get new heroes out of erstwhile misfits. Time will tell whether they will vindicate him, add to his selection headache, or just tag along and accept to be mere ‘training materials’ in Morocco.
For me, I would have preferred seeing Chelle do what our former coach, Gernot Rohr, did with Benin Republic – check the calendar, note the limited time available before AFCON 2025 begins and simply send your final list (not an overloaded provisional roster of confusion).
Sometimes, I wonder why Victor Osimhen et al did not just allow Rohr make history in qualifying Benin Republic for their first appearance at the World Cup. Just a draw from their last match in Uyo would have sent The Cheetahs to the Mundial, and Rohr would have been eternally grateful to his former players for making it possible.
That takes me to the final point of this week’s write-up, and it has to do with the fiery form we saw from some of our key players during this outgoing week.
Two well-taken goals from Samuel Chukwueze, a wonder strike by Alex Iwobi, full duration action for Akor Adams and Calvin Bassey, as well as Paul Onuachu forcing us to remember him with his top rating in Turkey. But I stumbled across a terse comment on social media, and I agreed with it intoto: Why can’t our players do for Nigeria what they do for their clubs?
I would have loved to hazard an answer for that poser, but that would add to the catalogue of confusion that I’m trying to sweep aside before the Super Eagles’ camp opens this Wednesday and should be full next Monday … eight days before our first match at AFCON 2025!
So, let’s avoid adding any other issue that could cause more distractions (or confusion) in the Eagles’ camp. Let’s all concentrate full on how to win our fourth AFCON title!
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