Ex-Super Eagles stars are divided over the exclusion of Nigeria Professional Football League players in the 32-man provisional squad to face Ghana in a Qatar 2022 World Cup play-offs on March 25 in Cape Coast and March 29 in Abuja.
In recent times, there have been calls for the inclusion of some of the best legs in the local league in the national team for major competitive games.
Eagles interim coach, Austin Eguavoen, on Friday announced the list of players for the game which consists of stars plying their trade outside the shores of the country.
Former Eagles coach Gernot Rohr in past had maintained that the reason for failing to invite local league players for national team assignment was due to the inactivity of league but this season, the NPFL have completed 16 games in the 2021/22 campaign.
The ongoing campaign have seen some exciting crop of players including Rivers United forward, Ishaq Rafiu who has scored 10 goals in 14 league games this season.
Reacting to the list, former Nigerian winger, Ishola Shaibu, says although the coaches are under pressure to win, he believes there are still good enough players in the league who can break into the team.
“We have some very good players in the NPFL but basically, it depends on the coach. Our mentality in Nigeria is that we believe too much on foreign based players,” Shaibu told Saturday PUNCH.
“During our playing days, it wasn’t that way. Most of our national team coaches don’t go out to watch league games and that is the problem. I think some of the home based players are better than those called up. If the coaches go round to watch these players, they would at least call-up two players to the squad,” Shaibu added.
Ex-midfielder, Friday Expo who represented Nigeria at the 1992 Africa Cup of Nation have backed the coaching crew over their decision to invite only foreign based players for the game stating that sentiments and emotions should not be a criteria for inviting players to the national team.
“Only the best players should be invited and it must be done without bias. “The players must be playing week in week out and clocking good minutes. It is also crucial for the coaches because they want to qualify for the World Cup,” Expo told Saturday PUNCH.
“For me, we need to have our best in the national team no matter where they come from.”
Ex-Eagles goalkeeper, Uche Akubuike added, “Our league is good enough for the coaches to get players but at this moment the coaches need the result and getting foreign based players would be easier to work with now because of the time frame but I believe they should be included in the future.”
Nosa Igiebor, a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner has told NPFL players to wait their turn as some of the players playing their position are people they can’t bench due to their pedigree.
“I don’t think it is encouraging for them not getting called up but if you’re doing well, they will call you but another thing is that you can be doing well and the position you are playing is being played by a player that has proven himself in Europe, then you won’t get called up.”
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