Chelle: Why I called up Musa, other NPFL players for Unity Cup

SUPER Eagles of Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle has given reasons for the invitation of Kano Pillars forward Ahmed Musa and nine other players from the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) for the Unity Cup tournament in London, England.

Nigeria will play in the four-nation friendly tournament along with Ghana, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago from Tuesday to Saturday at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium.

“We have a lot of players in Nigeria. So, we need to give them a chance to show us their quality,” Chelle said during his pre-match press conference ahead of the Super Eagles’ fixture against the Black Stars of Ghana scheduled for Wednesday.

“It’s difficult for me to talk about anything else outside the pitch. But I can tell you one thing: we are focused. We have a game project. We want to build a team and create an identity with this game project and tactical plan.

“So, we need to bring into this team players who can quickly understand and adapt to this game plan. The Unity Cup is a great opportunity to test some players and try different systems so we can be ready by September.”

The Malian, who led his country to the quarter-finals at the last Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire, noted that he scouted the NPFL players before naming his squad.

“I was recently in Nigeria. I watched a few matches in the national league, and I spent time analysing these players,” Chelle said.

“That’s my job. I believe they have quality, and they deserve to be given a chance. I am confident they can bring a lot of intensity, aggressiveness, and strong desire to represent the country.

“I have selected 10 players from the national league. I can tell you that they are good players. For example, I think Ahmed is a very good player, in fact, a great one. Every Nigerian knows that. For me, this is a fact.”

Musa, who has captained the Super Eagles for several years, returned from Europe this season to sign up with Kano Pillars, earning a recall to the national team after a long absence.