The Nigeria Super Eagles are set to participate in the upcoming Unity Cup in London, and assistant coach Daniel Ogunmodede has revealed what the coaching team will put into consideration in selecting players for the competition.
A significant number of home-based players from the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) will be included in the squad will likely get their first top shot in the competition.
The tournament, scheduled to take place from May 27 to 31 at Brentford’s GTech Community Stadium, will feature Nigeria, Ghana, Jamaica, and Trinidad & Tobago.
Ogunmodede confirmed that head coach Eric Chelle has been scouting for talented players in the NPFL, and several domestic stars are expected to earn their first call-up to the national team.
“The Unity Cup is an opportunity for us to see some new players that ought to be seen, inclusive of the home-based,” Ogunmodede said. “That’s why, recently, he [Chelle] watched some of the Nigerian league matches. He watched the players and discussed with some of them.”
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One player who is expected to earn his first senior call-up is Getafe star Chrisantus Uche. The 21-year-old midfielder has had a breakthrough season in Spain, scoring three goals in 30 La Liga appearances.
Uche was named in Nigeria’s provisional squad for the World Cup qualifiers but missed out on the final 23-man shortlist. His impressive form has caught the attention of the Super Eagles coaching staff, and he is expected to be part of the Unity Cup squad.
Chrisantus Uche will will have a chance to prove his credentials in the London Unity cup. (Photo credit: Getty images)
The Unity Cup fixtures are set, with Nigeria facing Ghana on May 28. The winners of the matches will meet in the final, while the losers will battle for third place. The tournament provides an opportunity for the Super Eagles to test their skills against international opponents and prepare for their friendly match against Russia in Moscow next month.
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Ogunmodede emphasized the importance of evaluating local talent, given the scheduling constraints. “This national team is not a gang where you’ll just wake up and pick a player one day, just because we like him. We put in a lot of hard work,” he said.
“You know, in the national team, you can’t have one month together… except during a competition. Even at that, you can’t have two months together. So, the little time you have together, you will have to bring in all information and link it into training in less than five days. That’s a whole lot of work.”
