Nigeria’s disappointing campaign at the African Nations Championship has continued to draw reactions, with veteran coach Tunde Disu questioning the process that led to the team’s early elimination, Footynaija.com reports.
The Super Eagles B, composed solely of NPFL players, crashed out of CHAN 2025 without scoring after back-to-back losses. Eric Chelle, appointed head coach of the Super Eagles in January, also managed the home-based team during the tournament.
However, their lack of cohesion and poor outings against Senegal and Sudan have placed the spotlight on the technical bench and the methods used in assembling the squad.
Disu, who famously guided Nigeria’s Flying Eagles to the historic “Dammam Miracle” comeback against the Soviet Union at the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship, believes the blame lies beyond the league itself.
Speaking to AIT, the respected coach insisted that Chelle should never have been given the responsibility of leading the team, pointing instead to poor selection and inadequate preparation.
“I do not think the league is to blame for that result,” Disu said.
“When I heard about the result, I was upset because it should not be so. However, our league is one of the best and toughest in Africa, so it is not about it.”
“I do not know how they prepared but I think it has a lot to do with their preparations; how many months were they in camp together since it is a championship of home players and they are all playing at home? This is very important.”
“Also, in a competition like this, the task should have been given to a coach whose team is top in the league and who understands the players. I am talking about team selection here. It is not something that should be handed to a coach strange to the league.”