The first leg of the 2025 AFCON qualifying match between the Super Eagles and the Mediterranean Knights of Libya was played yesterday at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo. For the second time in a row, the former African champions prosecuted the AFCON qualifier without a single player from the Nigerian Premier Football League (NPFL).
Since Austin Eguavoen returned as the Super Eagles acting Head Coach, he has not invited any player from the Nigerian topflight for the 2025 AFCON qualifiers. In September, when Nigeria battled the Cheetahs of Benin Republic and Amavubi of Rwanda, it was still an all foreign-based Super Eagles affair.
The last time a player in the NPFL star featured for the Super Eagles was during the short reign of Finidi George, who was brave enough to hand a competitive debut to Remo Stars’ outstanding attacking wing-back, Sodiq Ismail. The immensely talented defender was in the squad for the two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Benin Republic.
As a matter of fact, apart from Ismail, Finidi also invited Enugu Ranger’s hitherto unknown left-full back, Kenneth Igboke, to replace Victor Osimhen, whose injury later generated serious controversy. Igboke’s late call-up swelled the number of home-based players in the team’s camp to three. Finidi had already invited the then Enyimba goalkeeper and captain, Ojo Olorunleke, and defender Ismail to the camp.
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Although Olorunleke and Igboke warmed the bench in the two catastrophic World Cup qualifiers, Ismail made his debut in Abidjan when he was subbed on in the ill-fated match with the Cheetahs of Benin Republic. Even as he came on at a stage that the Super Eagles were chasing the match under intense pressure, the young defender didn’t show nerves as he made significant contributions to justify his inclusion in the team.
As the Remo Stars’ defender who has distinguished himself in the NPFL as master of assists proved his mettle against the more experienced and tested players, it instantly raised expectations that going forward more players in the domestic league would receive Super Eagles invitations.
Unfortunately, that glimmer of hope appears to have been extinguished by the present coach who appears to be in love with the path once taken by his predecessors who treated home-based players with utter disdain. In fact, Eguavoen is behaving as if he is convinced that home-based players caused Finidi’s failure with the Super Eagles.
However, a careful scrutiny of the players invited for the 2025 AFCON qualifiers against Libya, shows that on current form, a home-based player like Remo Stars youngster, Ismail, who was voted the best defender in the 2024 NPFL season deserves to be in the present Super Eagles squad.
Although many people still think that the NPFL lacks quality players who can compete favourably for shirts with the foreign based players, I beg to disagree. When Ismail was given a little time against the Cheetahs of Benin Republic, we all saw the positive impact he made with his trademark crosses into the opponents’ box. Indeed, he showed that there are players of quality in the NPFL.
Therefore, Eguaveon’s preference for a Bright Osayi-Samuel who appears to be battling a nagging injury over an in-form Ismail leaves much to be desired. In fact, the inclusion of Benjamin Tanimu who is yet to kick the ball this season for his lowly rated English League One club, Crawley Town FC, is even more baffling in this show of blind love for players abroad.
Of course, I am one of those who have been consistently critical of the NPFL but I still believe in the quality of players that exist in the league. The major problem of the league is defective leadership or administrative failure. Those saddled with the management of the league are most times bereft of ideas to transform it. But this does not translate to dearth of quality players in the NPFL.
Those who insist that there are no Super Eagles materials in the NPFL should pause and ask themselves why these same players deserve national team invitations once they go abroad. Only recently, Olisa Ndah, played in the 2025 AFCON qualifiers against Benin Republic and Rwanda, but if he were still playing for Akwa United, he wouldn’t have achieved his lifetime ambition.
This explains why players in the NPFL keep rushing to even smaller leagues in Africa. Most of them believe it is only when they become foreign based players that they would be appreciated and considered good enough for the Super Eagles.
If more opportunities are provided for players in the Nigerian league to come into the Super Eagles squad, it will definitely engender growth in the NPFL because top players would stay back in the domestic league to ply their trade.
However, if players like Ismail and Kazeem Ogunleye who have capacity to play at the highest level are constantly overlooked, their compatriots won’t hesitate to ‘japa’ to even obscure leagues abroad. The antidote to the constant exodus of NPFL players is the invitation of the outstanding ones to the national team.
Well, some of us have been unwavering in our position that a careful blend of foreign and home based players will ultimately produce a more formidable Super Eagles squad, but heaven help those who help themselves.
So, home based players too should do everything humanly possible to convince their critics that they are worthy of the Super Eagles. A situation where only one Nigerian club is left in the continent again is not a good commentary on the NPFL players.
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