Eric Chelle is days away from naming his squad for the Unity Cup, and former Nigeria international Paul Okoku wants the Super Eagles coach to make a deliberate statement by including players from the domestic league, and actually playing them, Footynaija.com reports.
Okoku is not new to this argument. The former midfielder has long been an advocate for the Nigeria Professional Football League as a genuine pipeline for the senior national team, and with Chelle preparing for a tournament that has been earmarked for squad-building ahead of the 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign, he sees the Unity Cup in London as the right moment to walk the talk.
His concern goes beyond selection. Okoku has watched home-based players travel to Super Eagles camps in previous cycles only to sit through training sessions without earning a single minute of competitive action, a pattern he finds counterproductive and demoralising.
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‘The system sends an unintended message’
Speaking to Sports247, Okoku framed the issue in terms that stretched beyond the upcoming tournament.
“Nigeria’s national team selection must strike a deliberate and fair balance between foreign-based professionals and home-based players. The argument is simple: select the best players, regardless of where they play,” he said.
He pointed to what he sees as the long-term damage of consistently leaving domestic players out.
“When home-based players are consistently overlooked, the system begins to send an unintended message that the local league is inferior or merely a stepping stone. Once a nation loses faith in its development pipeline, it begins to lose identity.”
Okoku acknowledged the obvious advantages European football offers but stopped short of accepting them as a permanent disqualification for those who have remained at home.
“There is no denying that players in Europe benefit from advanced infrastructure, tactical exposure, and high-intensity competition. However, this does not automatically render home-based players incapable or unworthy,” he said.
