Former Super Eagles Star Warns Against Depending on Victor Osimhen During AFCON 2025
- Former Super Eagles star Sam Sodje has issued a stern warning to coach Eric Chelle ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON)
- Chelle and his coaching crew have arrived in Cairo ahead of the proposed friendly match against the Pharaohs of Egypt
- The last match the Super Eagles participated in was the 2026 World Cup play-offs, where they lost to DR Congo in the final
Former Nigeria international Sam Sodje has issued a strong warning to Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco.
The three-time AFCON winners lost 2-1 to the host Ivory Coast to win the title at the 2023 edition.
Source: Getty Images
Eric Chelle is attending his second consecutive African Cup of Nations, after losing to the Elephants 2-1 (ET) in the quarterfinal.
The 48-year-old released his final 28-man squad on December 11, with 2023 CAF Player of the Year Victor Osimhen leading the list of strikers.
Nigeria are drawn in group C with Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda, with their first match coming up on December 23 against the Tafia Stars, per NFF.
Sodje warns Eric Chelle
Former Brentford star Sam Sodje has warned Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle not to over-depend on Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen for goals heading into the continental tournament.
The former Reading star said Chelle should find a way of reducing the workload on Osimhen and sharing the responsibilities among other strikers during the tournament.
The 46-year-old said the nation cannot get the best out of other strikers if they are not fielded in important matches. He said via Footy Africa:
"Every player who is playing well at their respective club deserves a chance in the senior national team.
"I agree that it hasn't worked out for him with the national team in the past, but he is doing well at the moment.
Source: Getty Images
"Another issue we not to look on is for Eric Chelle to ensure that the Super Eagles is not a one-man team that depends on Victor Osimhen always.
"If any striker can come in and share the goalscoring responsibilities with the former Napoli forward, I think it would be a great addition.
"Considering the kind of season he is having, I hope he gets an opportunity to play.”
Osimhen's performance under Chelle
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has given his best under coach Eric Chelle, who took over in January 2025.
The Galatasaray forward scored a total of six goals during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, including a hat trick against Benin Republic on the final day.
The former Lille forward also scored a brace during the 2026 World Cup playoff semifinal against Gabon in Nigeria's 4-1 win before suffering an injury during the final against DR Congo.
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Ola Aina: How Premier League club forced Eric Chelle to drop defender from AFCON 2025 squad
Udeze criticises NFF, Chelle over AFCON squad
Legit.ng earlier reported that former Super Eagles defender Ifeanyi Udeze criticised the final 28-man squad named by coach Eric Chelle for AFCON 2025.
According to Udeze, the squad is “questionable” as he raised concerns about certain selection decisions, highlighting the inclusion of players from less prominent leagues over home-based stars, and questioning the logic behind some choices.
Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
