Amuneke, Esin, Egwuekwe Caution Super Eagles Against Over-Reliance on Foreign-Born Players

Former Super Eagles stars Emmanuel Amuneke, Etim Esin, and Azubuike Egwuekwe have urged the Nigeria Football Federation and coach Eric Chelle to strike a balance between recruiting foreign-born talent and developing home-grown players, warning that over-dependence on overseas-born footballers could undermine the domestic league.

The caution comes as the national team continues to attract interest from players born abroad to Nigerian parents, with Chelle having already secured commitments from defenders Felix Agu and Ryan Alebiosu, as well as Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo. Reports indicate the Franco-Malian tactician is also in discussions with five other eligible players.

Rangers defender Emmanuel Fernandez, a 24-year-old born in London to Nigerian parents, is the latest to pledge his international allegiance to the Super Eagles.

While acknowledging this trend, Chelle has maintained that standards will not be compromised in the selection process. '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,' the coach stated.

However, Amuneke, the 1994 African Footballer of the Year and a member of the victorious 1994 AFCON squad, stressed the importance of maintaining focus on grassroots development.

'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 our correspondent.

Drawing comparison with European football development models, he added: '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, echoed similar sentiments, emphasising that the gap between home-based and foreign-based players could be bridged through improved infrastructure and investment.

'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,' Esin argued.

Egwuekwe, a 2013 Africa Cup of Nations winner with the Super Eagles, was more direct in his assessment, insisting that consistent exclusion of domestic league players sends the wrong message about Nigerian football.

'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,' he said.

Egwuekwe suggested that including at least two to four NPFL players in national team camps would inspire younger players and demonstrate that domestic performance can lead to international recognition. He recalled the success of the late Stephen Keshi's approach at the 2013 AFCON, where Sunday Mba's decisive goal secured the title.

At the recently concluded 2025 AFCON in Morocco, where Nigeria clinched third place, the squad featured several dual-nationality players including Semi Ajayi, Calvin Bassey, Alex Iwobi, Ademola Lookman, and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru.