Eric Chelle Criticises Femi Azeez Despite Scoring Two Goals on His Super Eagles Debut
- Eric Chelle has hit out at Femi Azeez despite scoring two goals on his Super Eagles debut against Zimbabwe
- Nigeria defeated the Warriors of Zimbabwe 2-0 in the Unity Cup semi-final thanks to Femi Azeez’s brace
- Super Eagles will face the winner of the second match between India and Jamaica in the final in Charlton
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has hit out at Femi Azeez despite scoring two goals on his debut against Zimbabwe in the Unity Cup.
Nigeria defeated the Warriors of Zimbabwe in the semi-final of the Unity Cup at The Valley, the home of Charlton Athletic, on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
Source: Getty Images
As noted by Evening Standard, Azeez opened the scoring in that 5th minute, before adding a second goal in the 63rd minute after a brilliant combination with captain Terem Moffi.
Nigerians gloated about the Millwall star over his performance on his debut, breathing new life into the new-face Eagles’ attack and combining with his partners.
Chelle criticises Femi Azeez
Super Eagles boss Eric Chelle was unimpressed with some aspects of Azeez’s game despite his match-winning performance against Zimbabwe.
The manager congratulated him for his performance, but noted that he was unhappy that he failed to follow some of his tactical instructions.
“You can ask Azeez directly. The first objective was for him to run today; this is what I asked of them. The second instruction was to press high, but during the 90 minutes, they did not,” Chelle said at the post-match conference.
“So we have to analyse the performance, particularly Azeez’s. I know he scored two goals, so congratulations to him. But he lost possession far too often, technically, so I’m not happy. He won the ball back at times, but other times he didn’t, so I’m not happy. But for his debut, I can say congratulations to him.”
There have been calls from Nigerians for Chelle to include him in the squad for the international friendly matches against Poland and Portugal.
The Franco-Malian manager hinted that he would promote the EFL Championship star to the team for the games in June.
“If I want him for the games against Portugal and Poland, I’ll say yes. But if I don’t want him, I’ll say no,” he added.
Source: Twitter
Azeez has another chance to impress Chelle when Nigeria faces the winner of the second semi-final between India and Jamaica on Saturday.
The Super Eagles will face the winner of the match and have the opportunity to defend their title, which they won at the Gtech Community Stadium in 2025.
A second round of international friendlies will take place on June 3 and 10 against Poland and Portugal as part of the preparation for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Chelle sends message to NPFL stars
Legit.ng previously reported that Eric Chelle sent a message to the NPFL players who made their debuts during the 2-0 win over Zimbabwe.
The manager applauded their performance, but noted that they must show greater understanding of the tactical demands to have further opportunities.
Source: Legit.ng
