Ahead of Nigeria’s much-anticipated international friendly against Russia this Friday at the iconic Luzhniki Stadium, Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has opened up about the absence of several key players from the squad.
Top names like Wilfred Ndidi, Kelechi Iheanacho, Felix Agu, and Ahmed Musa, who were originally part of the 21-man squad, have now exited the camp before the showdown.
Speaking in an interview with UK-based Nigerian journalist Austin Okon Akpan, Chelle revealed the reasons behind the withdrawals.
While he did not provide exhaustive details on each player, Chelle confirmed that the decisions were made in the best interests of the team and the players themselves.
Some of the absences, he noted, were due to injury concerns, fitness levels, and personal reasons, while others were agreed upon mutually between the coaching crew and the players.
“You saw Ahmed Musa left the camp [for his wedding]. [Wilfried] Ndidi left because he had a little injury at the end of the game [against Jamaica],” Chelle said.
“[Kelechi] Iheanacho, too has a big problem in his family so he needs to leave the Super Eagles camp.
“Felix Agu left because of his visa. He can’t go to Russia. So we have to work on other players who can substitute them.
