The Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Austin Eguavoen, has confirmed that newly appointed Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, had the final say in selecting the squad for Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
On Tuesday, March 11, Chelle unveiled his 23-man squad, retaining key players like Stanley Nwabali, William Ekong, Calvin Bassey, Ola Aina, Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman, and Victor Osimhen for the crucial matches.
Nigeria will face Group C leaders Rwanda in Kigali on March 21 before hosting Zimbabwe at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on March 25.
Eguavoen, who previously served as interim coach, emphasized that Chelle had complete authority over squad selection. “As the technical director, I’ve attended FIFA workshops where it was made clear that the senior national team coach has the final say on squad selection,” he said on SuperSport’s Monday Night Football. “We can advise, but if the coach disagrees, his decision stands. That’s why coaches are held accountable for results. Chelle carefully prepared this list, and it was entirely his call.”
Former Super Eagles striker and technical committee member Victor Ikpeba also backed Chelle’s autonomy, stating, “Chelle has been closely monitoring a pool of 45 to 50 Nigerian players abroad. The final decision was his, with no interference.”