Nigeria Football Federation Technical Director, Augustine Eguavoen, has refuted claims of external influence on Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, regarding squad selection for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
Chelle finalized his 23-man squad for the crucial fixtures on Tuesday, trimming down an earlier provisional list.
Notable absentees from the squad include Ahmed Musa, Frank Onyeka, Kelechi Iheanacho, and Zaidu Sanusi.
Addressing speculations, Eguavoen emphasized that Chelle retains full control over team selection and made his choices independently.
The former Super Eagles defender also noted that the Malian coach took his time in making his decisions.
“I want Nigerians to get clarity on something, I’ve been technical director for a few years and I have attended FIFA workshops where I ask questions a lot and they made it clear to me that a senior national team coach anywhere in the world has a final say on who he wants on his list.
“We can interact, we cannot interfere. If he says no, it’s no. That is why they can fire a senior national team coach at any time. So I will say Eric Chelle took his time to prepare this list and he has the final say,” Eguavoen told SuperSport.
The Super Eagles will commence their training camp on Sunday ahead of their clash against Rwanda’s Amavubi at the Amahoro Stadium, Kigali, next Friday.
They will then return to Nigeria to face Zimbabwe at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo, on Tuesday, March 25.
