Eric Chelle handed competitive debuts to nine emerging players, using the last international window to assess the country’s young talents while expanding Super Eagles squad depth.
George Ilenikhena and Moses Usor were the pick of the pack in the two 2027 AFCON qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau.
Similarly, a youthful Super Eagles side put up a credible showing in a 3-3 draw with Russia in an international friendly game in Nizhny Novgorod on Tuesday.
The young Nigeria side twice came back from behind to earn a dramatic 3-3 draw against Russia in a game where Coach Éric Chelle handed starting berths to five debutants.
Only six players in the starting XI, viz Moses Simon, Kelechi Iheanacho, Benjamin Fredricks, Emmanuel Fernandez, Abdullahi Bewene, and Aderemi Adeoye, had previously featured for the three-time African champions.
“We are endeavoring to prepare for the African Cup of Nations and the Olympic Games,” Chelle said during his post-Russia match press conference.
“We encountered difficulties in assembling all desired players for the squad.
“In this instance, we fielded players from the U-23 contingent, and they demonstrated their readiness for senior-level competition.”
How Chelle’s Debutants Performed
The young Nigerians also played an important role in the comeback against Russia.
After Russia extended their advantage to 3-1 nine minutes into the second period, Chelle introduced fresh legs from the bench.
The substitutions injected immediate urgency into Nigeria’s attack.
Substitute Umar Abdullahi came close to pulling one back in the 73rd minute after intercepting high up the pitch following strong work from Isaac James.
19-year-old debutant Peter Edokpolor made an immediate impact off the bench.
The youngster drove aggressively through the Russian defense before firing an unstoppable strike past the goalkeeper in the 78th minute to make it 3-2.
With momentum firmly behind the Super Eagles, Chelle introduced Vince Osuji for Chibuzo Nwoko in the 83rd minute to maintain central balance as Nigeria pushed forward.
The relentless pressure paid off in the fourth minute of added time.
Another debutant, Abdullahi, squared intelligently for fellow substitute Akor Adams to turn home a 94th-minute equalizer.
In all, nine players made their Super Eagles debut on Tuesday night.
Super Eagles Squad Depth: Last Three Super Eagles Coaches
It’s been only 1 year and 9months on the Job for Chelle, but he’s surpassed Rohr’s debutant count.
Chelle (Jan 2025 till now): 41 debutants and counting.
Rohr (2016-2021): 32 debutants
Keshi (2011-2014 & 2015): 30 debutants.