Eric Chelle backs Nigeria youngsters to seize Russia friendly opportunity

Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle believes Nigeria’s younger players have a major opportunity to make their mark when they face Russia in an international friendly on Tuesday.

Nigeria will take on Russia at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on October 6, with Chelle forced to work with a depleted squad due to injuries, club restrictions and other commitments involving several established players.

The situation has opened the door for a number of young players to step into the senior setup, and Chelle wants them to use the occasion to demonstrate that they can compete at international level.

The Nigerian coach also admitted that his team were below their expected standard in their previous outing but insists the meeting with Russia provides an immediate opportunity to put things right.

“We played badly last time, and tomorrow we will have the opportunity to correct that. We need to continue working, training and showing everything we can,” Chelle said.

Chelle explained that Nigeria’s preparations have been complicated by clubs being reluctant to release some of their players for the fixture, while injuries have further reduced his options.

As a result, several inexperienced players have been brought into the squad, giving them a valuable opportunity to catch the coach’s attention against a strong Russian team.

“Given the current situation, clubs are reluctant to send their players here. Because of this, we’ve brought in a number of very young players,” he added.

For the youngsters involved, the Russia friendly represents more than just another international fixture. It is an opportunity to show Chelle that they can be trusted with bigger responsibilities in the Super Eagles setup.

With several regulars absent, the young players are expected to embrace the challenge and provide Chelle with fresh options as he continues to build his squad.