NFF’s Super Eagles selection saga: Why are Chukwueze, others called up despite lack of playing time?

The recent call-ups to Nigeria’s national football team have once again raised questions about the selection criteria for our Super Eagles.

Players who have seen little to no action at their clubs—like Taiwo Awoniyi, Benjamin Tanimu, and Samuel Chukwueze—continue to make the roster, while others, more deserving and in better form, seem to be inexplicably overlooked.

One wonders how we can make the team truly competitive when mediocrity is rewarded with consistent call-ups. Kelechi Iheanacho, for instance, has been struggling for form, yet he remains a regular fixture in the squad.

Does this approach not hinder the national team’s progress? Beyond Victor Osimhen, Victor Boniface, and Ademola Lookman, most of our established players are far from their best, a situation that spans all positions on the field.

It begs the question: are there no fresh strikers in the Nigerian football scene? Are we truly out of young, hungry forwards who deserve a shot?

The lack of willingness to try something new is particularly worrying. Players like Chuba Akpom, Tolu Arokodare, Akor Adams, and a host of others who are thriving in their respective leagues seem to have been overlooked in the national conversation.

Akpom, whose form has been stellar over the past couple of seasons, remains in the shadows, while Akor Adams, who has netted three goals in seven games this season, watches from France. Is this not better than Awoniyi, who is struggling to find playing time at Southampton?

There is a palpable fear within the coaching staff to stray from the familiar. But how can progress be made if the same underperforming players are called up time and again? It’s high time the national team’s selection process underwent a rethink. ‘

Nigerian football is brimming with untapped potential, but unless we shake off the shackles of complacency and embrace fresh faces, we risk remaining stuck in the cycle of mediocrity.