Former Nigeria’s Super Eagles midfielder Duke Udi has advised Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle to pick players based on merit and form.
He made this call ahead of Nigeria’s involvement in the Unity Cup in London, which consists of countries like India, Zimbabwe, and Jamaica.
The schedule features semi-finals on May 26-27, with the final and third-place match on May 30.
Speaking in an interview with Brila FM, Udi stated that Nigeria can learn from Senegal and England, who pick players based on their performance in their respective leagues.
“We need to learn from the English and Senegalese national teams. With all due respect to Nigeria, how do they pick their players?,” Duke Udi posited.
“Sometimes when you do things your own way and it’s not working, you have to look at those doing it better and learn from them.
“If you look at the Senegal national team, they pick players based on merit and who is in form. You must prove yourself to get called up.
“Every Nigerian who wants to play for the Super Eagles should be chosen on merit, not based on where he comes from or who he represents.
“Once you are qualified, good enough, and performing well at your club, then you are entitled to play for the national team.”
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has made contact with William Osula regarding a potential switch in international allegiance to represent the Super Eagles.
Osula, who currently plays for Newcastle United, was born in Copenhagen to a Danish mother and a Nigerian-French father. He has represented the Denmark national under-21 football team at the youth level, earning one cap for the U-19s before enjoying a productive spell with the U-21s, where he scored eight goals in 15 appearances.
The 22-year-old received his first senior call-up to the Denmark national football team in March for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against North Macedonia and the Czech Republic. However, he did not make an appearance—opening the door for Nigeria to intensify its pursuit.
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