Sports journalist Olawale Adigun has supported the decision to allow Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle to also manage Nigeria’s under-23 team, saying the move could help improve player development and strengthen the national football structure.
Speaking in an interview with our correspondent, Adigun said the arrangement gives the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) a chance to keep Chelle in place while also rebuilding an under-23 side that has struggled in recent years.
He noted that Nigeria has missed recent Olympic football tournaments and said the country should return to competing strongly at that level.
According to him, Chelle’s ability to spot talent could benefit younger players and help create a stronger pathway into the senior national team.
Adigun acknowledged concerns raised by former Super Eagles coach Finidi George about possible distractions from handling both teams.
However, he argued that the competition calendar should make the workload manageable.
He also said Chelle must pay close attention to players in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) because many foreign-based players may not be released for under-23 competitions.
On youth development, Adigun agreed there has been a gap between Nigeria’s age-grade teams and the Super Eagles in recent years.
He said stronger links between youth teams and the senior side could help create a shared football identity and produce more players for the future.
Comments
Add a comment