Eric Chelle, head coach of the Super Eagles B team, has addressed criticism surrounding his decision to include midfielder Alex Young Oyowah in Nigeria’s squad for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN).
Chelle made the remarks following Nigeria’s 2-0 win over Congo in their concluding Group D match on Tuesday.
Notably, Oyowah was awarded Man of the Match after standout performances, while goals from Anas Yusuf and Sikiru Alimi sealed the victory for the Nigerian side.
Reflecting on the team’s journey in a post-match interview published on CAF’s official website, Chelle remarked: “The preparations for a CHAN tournament should start a year in advance.
“For example, the player who won the Man of the Match award against Congo, Alex, I put him on our list for the tournament a week before we left, and everyone said, ‘Why did you call him up when he’s not known?’
“We were not ready to participate in this tournament. Whoever attends our training sessions will notice that our players were not mentally prepared to participate in this version of the tournament.”
Despite their final win, Nigeria was eliminated from the competition after securing just three points in Group D, placing them behind both Sudan and Senegal.
