Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has praised Tosin Oyedokun after the midfielder impressed during Nigeria’s preparations for the Unity Cup clash against Zimbabwe in London.
The Ikorodu City midfielder earned his national team invitation on the back of an impressive NPFL season, where he recorded four goals and three assists in 32 appearances. Despite Ikorodu City narrowly missing out on a CAF Confederation Cup spot after a final-day loss to Rangers International, Oyedokun’s performances were enough to catch the attention of the national team handlers.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s fixture, Chelle said several home-based players had impressed in training but singled out Oyedokun for his calmness and quality on the ball.
“Some of them are good with the ball, like Tosin, who plays for Ikorodu City,” Chelle said. “But the most important thing is that they try to understand what we want for this team.”
The coach acknowledged the challenge local league players face in trying to prove themselves within a short training window, noting the pressure that comes with national team selection.
“It is difficult for these players because they have to show something after two training sessions. Maybe they can have a lot of pressure,” he said.
Chelle added that he wants the players to approach the opportunity with confidence and commitment rather than fear.
“You are playing for Nigeria, and the only pressure you can have is to give everything on the pitch. After that, you will make mistakes, but that is not the end. If there are no mistakes, there are no goals in football. Don’t be scared of anything; be ready to go to war,” he added.
He also emphasized that the Unity Cup serves as a key platform to assess home-based talents, especially with several foreign-based players unavailable outside the FIFA window.
“Like I said when I was in Nigeria, I wanted to give a chance to home-based players. They can show their strengths, and this is a good tournament,” he said.
Nigeria begin their Unity Cup campaign against Zimbabwe on Tuesday in London.
