Head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle has revealed the method he uses in selecting new players to his team , OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.
Chelle who has already submitted his list of players for the upcoming world cup qualifiers playoff in Morocco, included two new players in the team for the mini tournament.
Speaking on how he gets to call up players considering the huge number of Nigerian players available for selection. The coach told CAF online channel the various means he uses to assess players before making a decision on calling them to his team.
“There are at least 25 players who could play across the frontline — more than a full team. We try to manage it carefully. We’ve built a player-tracking system: we monitor around 80 players every week — roughly 80 matches to watch. Selection comes down to several criteria: first, are you playing for your club; second, are you performing; third, do you fit our tactical framework”, Chelle explained.
“Sometimes the tactical criterion wins. For example, Ademola Lookman hadn’t played much for Atalanta early in the season, but I couldn’t name a squad without the African Player of the Year. He can change a game in 15 minutes. Picking 25 is never easy — in Nigeria it’s even harder — which is why we work so hard”.
Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman
