Former Super Eagles stars Emmanuel Amuneke, Etim Esin and Azubuike Egwuekwe have called on coach Eric Chelle and the Nigeria Football Federation to exercise caution as foreign-born players continue to pledge their international future to the Super Eagles, insisting that only the best should make the team while home-based players are given adequate consideration.
Chelle has already secured commitments from defenders Felix Agu and Ryan Alebiosu, as well as Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo, and is reportedly in talks with five other eligible players.
Rangers defender Emmanuel Fernandez, 24, born in London to parents of Nigerian descent, has also pledged his international future to Nigeria.
The Malian tactician acknowledged the trend but maintained that standards would not be compromised.
“We have a couple of players who were born abroad who want to play for the team, and we are looking at how they will fit in. We can’t bring all of them into the team. We will pick those that we know can bring competition to the team, improve the team and also fit our game project,” Chelle said.
While welcoming quality additions, Amuneke, the 1994 African Footballer of the Year, warned against neglecting grassroots development and the youth pipeline.
“The focus should not just be on picking foreign-born players. We must be selective and go only for the best among them. More importantly, we have to continue developing our youths here at home because they remain the foundation of this team,” Amuneke told The .
“Nigeria has never fallen short of players. If you develop what you have at the grassroots, you will see them grow. Spain believe in their youths, they develop them and give them the opportunity to grow.”
Esin, who represented Nigeria at the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship, stressed the need to close the gap between home-based and foreign-based players through investment in infrastructure.
“My concern is that we should not keep sidelining the home-based players. The reason why it seems the foreign-based do better is because of the facilities they have abroad. If the NFF can give the players here good facilities and the level of attention and coaching that players abroad get, then Nigeria can have more than enough quality. The home-based players deserve a genuine chance,” he said.
Egwuekwe, a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner, was more emphatic, insisting that domestic league players must be given meaningful opportunities in the national team.
“What I keep saying is that the home-based players are being ignored, and that is not good for our football. The more you encourage home-based players, the more the league grows. When you consistently leave them out, you are telling the world that Nigeria does not have a league,” Egwuekwe told The .
“It does not have to be a majority, but at least two, three or four players from the NPFL joining the professionals in camp is important. It encourages younger players coming up, knowing that if they perform well domestically, they can still make the Super Eagles. During our time, it was the home-based players who helped qualify Nigeria for major tournaments. The late Stephen Keshi proved what is possible when he took a gamble on local players at the 2013 AFCON, and Sunday Mba delivered the title.”
At the 2025 AFCON in Morocco, where Nigeria finished third, the squad featured several dual-nationality players, including Semi Ajayi, Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.