NFF Technical Director Austin Eguavoen criticizes absence of home-based players in Nigeria’s AFCON 2025 squad, questioning why no NPFL players were selected when some squad members didn’t feature.Nigeria Football Federation Technical Director Austin Eguavoen has expressed disappointment over the complete absence of Nigeria Premier Football League players in the Super Eagles squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Speaking in an interview with Footy Africa, Eguavoen revealed that several players from the domestic league were good enough to make the final squad but were overlooked by head coach Eric Chelle for the continental tournament.

The former Super Eagles coach questioned the logic behind excluding home-based players, especially when some squad members did not feature at all during the competition.

“I felt disappointed that we did not include some NPFL players in the AFCON squad. Some players in the team may not even get a minute of action, so why couldn’t we include a few players from the local league? At least three or four would have been better,” Eguavoen said.

Eguavoen warned against judging the NPFL solely based on Nigeria’s struggles at the African Nations Championship, which is reserved for home-based players. He stressed that the domestic league possesses quality players capable of competing at major tournaments.

“The players are not bad, and just because we didn’t do well at CHAN doesn’t mean we should throw the baby out with the bathwater. This is something we need to look into because it speaks volumes when players come directly from the local league into a major tournament like AFCON,” he added.

Despite his concerns, Eguavoen clarified that the NFF would not impose players on Chelle, emphasizing that team selection remains the coach’s sole responsibility.

“We can only advise him; we cannot force players on him. I must also say that he has a lot of respect for the players and wants to see how he can gradually bring them through. We have discussed this a few times, but the timing has to be right,” Eguavoen explained.

The NFF Technical Director also suggested that Chelle’s limited exposure to the domestic league may have affected player assessment, urging the coach to spend more time in Nigeria to better evaluate local talent.

“If he stays in the country more often, he will have better opportunities to visit venues and watch players. If he doesn’t, it becomes more difficult,” he said.

Nigeria finished third at AFCON 2025, defeating Egypt on penalties in the bronze medal match after losing to Morocco in the semi-finals.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino has condemned Senegal’s controversial walk-off during the Africa Cup of Nations final, describing the incident as “unacceptable” and calling for appropriate disciplinary measures.

Senegal won their second AFCON title in four years with a 1-0 extra-time victory over Morocco on Sunday, but the triumph has been overshadowed by chaos that saw the entire team leave the pitch in protest for approximately 14 minutes.

The incident occurred in the dying moments of normal time when referee Jean-Jacques Ndala awarded Morocco a penalty following a VAR review. Senegal coach Pape Thiaw ordered his players off the field, with only captain Sadio Mane initially refusing before eventually convincing his teammates to return.

“We also witnessed unacceptable scenes on the field and in the stands. We strongly condemn the behaviour of some supporters as well as some Senegalese players and technical staff members,” Infantino stated. “It is unacceptable to leave the field of play in this manner, and equally, violence can not be tolerated in our sport.”

Morocco’s Royal Football Federation has confirmed it will pursue legal action with both CAF and FIFA, seeking to have Senegal’s title stripped based on what they describe as a violation of competition rules.

The Confederation of African Football has opened disciplinary proceedings against Senegal and referred the matter to its Ethics and Disciplinary Committee.

Senegal returned to complete the match after Mane’s intervention. Brahim Diaz missed the penalty with a poorly executed Panenka attempt, and Pape Gueye scored a stunning winner in the 94th minute to secure the title.

Senegal coach Thiaw later apologized for his actions, acknowledging that emotions had gotten the better of him. However, the incident has raised serious questions about setting precedents for future international competitions, with no clear historical example of similar behaviour at a major tournament final.

Nigeria’s Super Eagles have surged to 26th position in the latest FIFA World Ranking released on Monday, recording a remarkable 12-place jump from 38th following their impressive performance at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. (more…)