Head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle says the lack training time is largely why he decided to leave some new players out of his squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Chelle picked a host of young players in his preliminary list for the tournament, but sources said only three of them made the final list of 28 players for the tournament, which begins in 11 days time.

A member of the technical committee of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) said when they sought to know from the coach why he is sticking with majority of the players, who failed to qualify for the world cup he cited lack of time for new players to properly understand the system.

He said Chelle isn’t entirely happy with the decision of CAF to give clubs more time to hang onto their players before the start of the tournament, and it could mean having just three full training session before the tournament starts.

Due to that reason, the Malian picked players who are familiar with his demands and also style of play rather than some new players. He could have picked more but had to settle for just three in Ryan Alebiosu of Blackburn Rovers, Rafiu Durosinmi of Czech Republic side Viktoria Plzen and Ebenezer Akinsamiro of Italian Serie A side Pisa.

The decision of head coach of the Super Eagles Eric Chelle not to include Uche Chrisantus in his squad for the Africa Cup of Nations has been tagged as a blessing in disguise by English journalist Eric Johnson.

Like we exclusively revealed Chrisantus isn’t a part of the final 28 man list submitted to CAF by Chelle for the tournament, which begins in 11 days time with Nigeria playing a tune up game in five days time.

Chrisantus has struggled to get going since joining Crystal Palace but he did had a very good cameo last week, when he came on as a substitute in their 2-1 win over Fulham.

On loan from Spanish side Getafe but with an obligation to buy at the end of the season. Reports came out that he was going to be shipped back to Getafe in January, but that isn’t the situation anymore after a recent run of games as a substitute.

He is expected to play some part in today’s Europa Conference League game against Irish side Shelbourne. The third game in a row that he will be in action if he gets to play and according to Eric, the AFCON will disrupt his new found momentum.

” He ( Chrisantus) should be happy that he is not picked for the tournament, because Ismaila Sarr departure for the AFCON will open the door for him to play more. Going to the AFCON will disrupt his new found momentum. It’s clear that he now understands the demands a lot better”, he told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The camp of the senior national team of Nigeria is yet to come alive five days before the high profile friendly game against Egypt, which will be their major test before the start of the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Nigeria is yet to officially name the 28 players for the tournament, but sources say players who made the list have been duly informed and have already received their air tickets to Egypt, where their camp is while some will fly directly to Morocco.

” I think there is no cause for alarm ahead of the game against Egypt. It will be on the 16th with players expected to be in camp on the 14th or 15th. So we are good because they are mostly active for their teams and also a part of the team are the majority for the past six games of the team”, a team source revealed.

” Players in the 28 man list have already received their air tickets. Some to Egypt and others to Morocco directly. The list has been submitted to CAF and the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) will make it public”.

Some reports say the list is suffering a delay due to interference from the NFF, our source was quick to shut it down. ” The list has been approved and sent to CAF but some issues are yet to be resolved particularly the injured players and not because of any interference”, he concluded.

Head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle has officially submitted his 28 man list for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) ahead of tomorrow’s deadline, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Chelle has already picked his 28 man squad since last week but asked the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to delay the announcement as they wait on the medical report of three players, who are key to his plans for the tournament.

We can exclusively reveal that the coach is waiting on the medical report of the trio of Ola Aina, Felix Agu and Stanley Nwabali before making the list public.

The three players are all battling to be fit for the tournament, but Chelle wants to see if they will be available for the latter stages before making a final decision.

There is also concerns over Zaidu Sanusi who was missing from Porto’s squad for the last game after picking up a knock. He has however assured the coach that it’s nothing major to be worried about.

Despite reports strongly linking 19 year old Nigerian winger Suleiman Sani with a move to English Premier League side Brentford, recent report suggest that it’s a battle between Italian Serie A side and Spanish LaLiga outfit Villareal.

Sani is widely expected to leave Slovakian side AS Trencin in January after a whirlwind one year at the club, where he earned a spot to be with the Nigeria U20 team at the world cup.

In 11 appearances this season he has found the back of the net three times with four assists in all competitions further enhancing his reputation.

Top teams around Europe have him down as an option in January, and according to Rudy Galetti who covers transfer stories AC Milan and Villareal are among the top clubs in for the Nigerian, who cut his teeth playing for the popular GBS Academy in Jos.

“EXCL | AC Milan and Villarreal approached Sani Suleiman, confirming their concrete interest in the Nigerian player.;The 19-year-old, who has been tracked by other top clubs – as already revealed – is expected to leave Trenčín in January”, he posted on social media platform X.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Chelsea defender Tosin Adarabioyo stands no chance of playing for Nigeria at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, OwnGoalNigeria.com can exclusively reveal.

Nigeria will head into the AFCON without their captain William Troost-Ekong, who announced his retirement from international football last week. Tosin who is of Nigerian descent has been tipped to be his likely replacement.

There has been talks about the 28 year old playing for Nigeria at the tournament, but those reports and suggestions are well off the mark according to a chieftain of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).

” No one has spoken to Tosin and no way will he be a part of a team which submitted the preliminary list without his name. He is a Nigerian and can always aspire to play for Nigeria but in this time around he is not an option”, he revealed.

Pressed on if the lanky defender has been approached by Chelle since his appointment, he said nothing like that has taken place to the best of his knowledge. ” There is nothing like that under Chelle but I think with Austine Eguavoen and Jose Peseiro he was approached to play for Super Eagles”, he revealed.

As many as four Nigerian players born abroad were contacted by head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle to play for his team at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Chelle has been very busy combing Europe for the best available talent to play for the senior national team of Nigeria, and so far has succeeded in luring Blackburn Rovers defender Ryan Alebiosu.

Ryan wasn’t the only player targeted by the coach who uses a proxy to approach these players with a source saying Femi Seriki of English Championship side Sheffield United was also approached, but declined to be a part of the team for the AFCON.

Seriki is only just returning from injury and wants to stamp his authority in the team, rather than leave for the AFCON which will run for six weeks. He is however open to playing for Nigeria in the future.

The story is the same for Everton midfielder Tim Iroegbenum who also picked making his mark in the Everton team rather than head to the AFCON.

Upon his appointment as coach of the Nigerian team, Chelle per what we exclusively gathered met Monaco’s forward George Ilenikhena in a bid to convince him to play for Nigeria, but the 19 year old isn’t ready to make a commitment yet although he hopes to be in the French national team setup soonest.

Chelsea bound Emmanuel Emegha of Strasbourg was seen Chelle as a like for like replacement for top striker Victor Osimhen, but he picked playing for the Netherlands as his first priority and made his international debut during the last break.

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) says they are not responsible for the payment of the salary of head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle in the wake of reports that he hasn’t been paid for three months, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Reports broke out this morning that the Malian hasn’t been paid for three months heading into the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, which begins on the 21st of December.

Chelle has been in charge of the team since the start of the year, and will be given an extension if the team makes it to the semi final of the AFCON but his salary is now the trending issue heading into the tournament.

” We (NFF) are not responsible for his salary. It is the job of the National Sports Commission (NSC) so they are the right people to answer why he has not been paid for the number of months in the report you quoted”, a top source of the NFF exclusively told OwnGoalNigeria.com.

According to foremost Nigerian journalist Osasu Obayiuwana, the NSC through a source confirmed that the coach is indeed owed two months salary and not three as reported. His statement on social media platform X read thus:

“According to a top @NatSportsComm official, speaking off the record, @NGSuperEagles head coach Eric Chelle is certainly owed wages. But the source says that it is TWO months and not three. “We have spoken to him and the money is going to be paid very shortly.”

“According to this highly-ranked official, Chelle had been paid regularly, since February, until things came unstuck around June/July. That was resolved until the current arrears, which he says is for “September and October.”

“As for his bonuses, “that is an @thenff matter,” the source said. “They are responsible for that.”

*But is this state of affairs good enough, for #Nigeria, that we recurringly owe @NGSuperEagles coaches wages? Is this not a shame and an embaraasment for the country? Nigerians, over to you…

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Omonia Nicosia of Cyprus goalkeeper Francis Uzoho has been placed on standby as the likely replacement for injured Stanley Nwabali who is in a race against time to be fit for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Nwabali has been the first choice goalkeeper of the Nigerian team since the last AFCON, where they finished second after losing 1-2 to host Cote d’Ivoire in the final.

In the build up to the tournament, head coach of Chippa United Vusumuzi Vilakazi said the 29 year old has been battling with an ankle injury, and also a hand injury lately and will require some time to be fit and ready for a tournament like the AFCON.

“I doubt it, looking at the state of his injury,” Vilakazi told SuperSport.com. “I don’t think he will make it, but when I was talking to him, he was confident that he will recover very soon. Obviously, as a player, he wants to be there at the Cup of Nations finals. But the reality is that he is still injured. I also hope for the best that he might find himself there”, he stated.

In the event that he fails to be fit for the tournament, head coach Eric Chelle has already picked the out of favour Uzoho as his replacement, using his experience as a yardstick although he is expected to be behind Maduka Okoye and his deputy Amas Obasogie.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Former Nigeria international defender Efe Ambrose says head coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle will have to bench one of either Ademola Lookman or Victor Osimhen for his team to do well at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Morocco, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

The duo are the team’s talisman in attack with Lookman displacing Osimhen as the Africa Player of the year, before the recent coronation of Moroccan defender Achraf Hakimi in Morocco two weeks ago.

Ambrose who won the AFCON with Nigeria in 2013 said he saw enough at the world cup qualifiers playoff to suggest that the duo can’t work together in attack, pointing to the 4-0 win over Benin Republic in Uyo as another case in study where the team scored four goals with Lookman missing and Osimhen grabbed a hattrick in the game.

” It’s a case of balance and when you have two players who are looking to be in the box at the same time, it leaves the team unbalanced and also uncoordinated in attack. Lookman and Osimhen are like Vinicius Jnr and Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid”, he said.

” None of them wants to drop deep for the other to be in the box. Look at the world cup qualifiers playoff and also see how the team were fluent in attack without Lookman against Benin Republic. Osimhen even scored a hattrick in that game”, he stated.