Eric Chelle, head coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, has promised to scour the Nigeria Premier Football League and European leagues for exciting new talent to add to the team for the 2026 Unity Cup.
The Super Eagles will defend their Unity Cup title against India national football team, Jamaica national football team, and Zimbabwe national football team in London from May 26 to 30.
Chelle said he would leverage the invitational tournament to inject a fresh stream of players into the team’s setup.
“The Unity Cup provides a platform to assess new players. I will comb Europe and invite players of Nigerian descent, alongside those who were previously called up but never got the chance to feature,” the head coach said.
“Top players from the Nigeria Premier Football League will also be considered, as I will be watching a number of domestic league games from now until the end of the season,” Chelle added.
In June, Nigeria will also play two high-profile friendly matches against Poland national football team and Portugal national football team, a World Cup-bound side.
Chelle said he will field his best lineup against those strong opponents to “boost Nigeria’s global ranking if we win.”
“For the big warm-up games in June against Poland and Portugal, I will field my first-team players,” the Franco-Malian coach said.
