Victor Ikpeba has called on the Super Eagles to increase competition for places in the national team, focusing on the goalkeeping department and beyond, Footynaija.com reports.
The former African Footballer of the Year spoke about the situation of Nigeria’s squad after the team secured a third‑place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Ikpeba said Super Eagles coach Éric Chelle must encourage more rivalry within the squad to push players to improve.
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“The Super Eagles need more competition for places to keep every player on his toes,” Ikpeba said via a report by Bulletin.
He acknowledged that Chippa United goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali has been Nigeria’s clear Number 1 in recent years, starting the majority of matches, including at AFCON 2025 where he helped the team secure third place.
“We can start with Nwabali as we need two great goalkeepers in the squad as was the case in the past,” he added.
The former Borussia Dortmund forward, who helped the Super Eagles win the 1994 African Nations Cup, believes that the availability of quality options would keep every player on their toes and prevent the team from relying on a single starter for long.
On Nigeria’s recent bronze win at AFCON 2025, Ikpeba described the Super Eagles as “work in progress.”
“They are still a work in progress, they reacted well when they failed to qualify for the World Cup,” he said.
“They had more time to train together, scored a lot of goals and looked good when they went forward.”
