Eric Chelle Demands Fight From New-Look Super Eagles Ahead Of Zimbabwe Clash

Eric Chelle has challenged Nigeria’s new generation of Super Eagles players to prove they belong on the international stage when the team faces Zimbabwe at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26, in the Unity Cup semi-final.

The Super Eagles head into the match at The Valley in London, with one of the most unfamiliar squads assembled in recent years.

Chelle has handed opportunities to several fresh faces, with as many as 12 players pushing to make their senior debuts in the four-nation tournament.

Regular stars such as Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi have been left out as the Malian coach continues rebuilding the squad and testing options ahead of future competitions.

A strong Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) presence dominates the squad list. Ikorodu City goalkeeper Michael Atata earned a first call-up after an impressive domestic campaign that produced 16 clean sheets, while Enugu Rangers pair Chibueze Oputa and Obinna Igboke were also invited.

Rivers United defender Elias Ochobi and Shooting Stars duo Ayobami Junior and Tijani Al-Ameen complete the home-based core.

Chelle has equally turned to Europe-based talent, with Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo, Millwall winger Femi Azeez, Plymouth Argyle striker Owen Oseni, Marseille midfielder Tochukwu Nnadi and Rangers defender Emmanuel Fernandez all included.

Speaking at Monday’s pre-match briefing, Chelle made it clear that attitude would matter more than reputation.

“As I said, we have a vision for this national team,” Chelle said. “Some of the new players are ready and motivated. The players of the NPFL, the players of the European leagues, have the chance to enter the Super Eagles (main) team.

“When you play a game like this, the first thing is the attitude, the state of mind. They have to show us first their state of mind. The most important thing for them is the…, you know when you play football, you make some mistakes. This is not the question about the mistakes. This is the question of what you can do after the mistakes. It’s a question about the state of mind. The only pressure that they can have is to fight for every ball. It is to run, run and run.”

Nigeria still carry the frustration of their last meeting with Zimbabwe during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in Uyo. The Super Eagles dominated much of that encounter and looked set for victory after Osimhen’s 74th-minute header put them ahead.

But deep into stoppage time, Zimbabwe substitute Tawanda Chirewa punished Nigeria’s lapse in concentration to rescue a 1-1 draw.

The result damaged Nigeria’s qualification hopes, with the Super Eagles later missing out on automatic qualification from Group C before their playoff ambitions ended against DR Congo.

Chelle insisted the previous result did not reflect the balance of play, though he warned against underestimating Zimbabwe.

“Zimbabwe is a great team, a great team with strong players,” he said. “If you want to talk about our last game, you need to talk not only about the result. Because if you see the result, you will say aha. But if you watch the game, we were supposed to win the game by at least 98 per cent.

“Definitely, Zimbabwe is a great team. They come with a lot of motivation. They want to win.”

Nigeria entered the Unity Cup as defending champions after beating Jamaica in last year’s final.

The Super Eagles also hold the stronger overall record against Zimbabwe, with four wins, four draws and one defeat from previous meetings.

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