Eric Chelle Lists 3 Criteria for Inviting Players to the Super Eagles Squad
- Super Eagles boss Eric Chelle has listed 3 criteria for inviting players and why Ademola Lookman was invited amid chaos at Atalanta
- Lookman is yet to hit top form this season after the summer transfer saga, when he attempted to leave Atalanta
- The winger remains one of the first names on the Eagles squad at the discretion of head coach Eric Chelle
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has listed three criteria for inviting players and why Ademola Lookman was invited to the Super Eagles squad in September and October despite poor form.
Chelle left out Lookman and Victor Osimhen from the Super Eagles squad for the 2025 Unity Cup and friendly match against Russia in June to clarify their future.
Source: Getty Images
Osimhen joined Galatasaray permanently, but the reigning African Footballer of the Year was held down by Atalanta despite an offer worth €45 million from Inter Milan.
The winger went AWOL to force a move, but Atalanta stood its ground and CEO Luca Percassi insisted the club will not sell to an Italian rival.
There were loan offers to the Premier League and Bundesliga on deadline day and even proposed moves to Turkey, but Lookman remained in Bergamo.
Atalanta reconciled with the Super Eagles forward after losing 4-0 to Paris Saint-Germain in the opening match of the UEFA Champions League group stage.
Chelle lists 3 selection criteria
Amidst the chaos at Atalanta, Chelle named Lookman in the Super Eagles squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in September and October.
The manager has now opened up on why the player got an invitation, while discussing the criteria he used to manage the bulk of attacking talent at his disposal in Nigeria.
Chelle admitted that he has over 25 attackers who are eligible for the Super Eagles and that he and his team track more than 80 players per week.
“Selection comes down to several criteria: first, are you playing for your club; second, are you performing; third, do you fit our tactical framework,” he told CAF Online.
Source: Getty Images
“Sometimes the tactical criterion wins. For example, Ademola Lookman hadn’t played much for Atalanta early in the season, but I couldn’t name a squad without the African Player of the Year.
“He can change a game in 15 minutes. Picking 25 is never easy; in Nigeria, it’s even harder, which is why we work so hard,” he concluded.
Chelle has stuck with most of his trusted players despite their form at their clubs, while some in-form players are overlooked regardless of what they do at their clubs.
Turkish Super League top scorer Paul Onuachu is one of such players, but according to OwnGoal, he will be in the squad for the playoff against Gabon.
A Nigerian football writer who asked not to be named dismissed Chelle’s conditions as mere theory, which every manager would have, but not follow.
“The criteria are mere theory, which even Chelle would admit he doesn't follow to the letter. Super Eagles selection is more about the regular names, someone who knows someone in the team or in the NFF,” he told Legit.ng.
“There are some players in the national team that you ask questions about how they got there, but it only matters if the team doesn't get results.”
Ivan Juric blames Super Eagles for Lookman's form
Legit.ng previously reported that Atalanta head Ivan Juric blamed the Super Eagles for Ademola Lookman's struggles at the start of his reintegration.
The Croatian manager claimed that the international duty in September and October denied Lookman from sticking to his strict fitness plan.
Source: Legit.ng
