Eric Chelle plans to hand as many as 10 promising U23 players their chance in Nigeria’s friendly against Russia, using the game to start building toward the 2028 Olympics.
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Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle is set to call up as many as 10 promising U23 players as Nigeria begins preparations for the 2028 Olympic football qualifying campaign.
Using The Russia Friendly As A Testing Ground
Chelle, who also oversees the U23 national team, plans to use Nigeria’s proposed friendly against Russia on October 6 to evaluate young talent and start assembling a strong squad for the Olympic qualifiers. Nigeria have twice medalled in men’s Olympic football, winning gold at the 1996 Atlanta Games and silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Foreign-Based Talent On The Radar
Several young players based in Europe, Saudi Arabia and other foreign leagues are reportedly under consideration. Among those said to be on Chelle’s list are FC Alverca left back Isaac James, Saudi based striker George Ilenikhena, Sabah winger Christian Nwachukwu and KV Mechelen forward Ayodele Adeshina.
A Dual Focus For The International Window
The Russia friendly gives Chelle a chance to run his eye over players ahead of the U23 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying series, the route to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with U23 players expected to form the core of the squad for that fixture. The senior Super Eagles, meanwhile, will have a separate focus in the same window, preparing for their 2027 AFCON qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
Casting A Wide Net
Chelle and his technical team have also been monitoring young Nigerian talent across Europe and other leagues as they build a pool of players for the Olympic campaign. He is expected to keep tabs on the domestic scene too, with reports suggesting he could attend selected NPFL matches in the coming weeks to identify young players who might earn a shot with the U23 side, giving both foreign-based and home-based talents a route into the national team setup.
