What NNL Players Must Do to Get Super Eagles Call-Up? Eguavoen Shares Insight
Austin Eguavoen, the Technical Director of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), has shared what players in the Nigerian second-tier league (NNL) must do to be considered for the Super Eagles.
Eguavoen explained that while the chances for players from the NNL to be called up are slim, they must be patient and continue to perform well. He also reassured that the NFF Technical Department is closely watching exceptional players and will invite them when the time is right. He pointed to the example of Smart City’s Afeez Bankole, who was invited to join the Super Eagles B team for their match against Ghana.
“You have to crawl before you walk,” Eguavoen told BSN Sports.
He added, “We are already keeping an eye on the NNL to bring in quality players for the Super Eagles. For example, Afeez Bankole of Smart City was invited to the CHAN Eagles, and he showed such high quality that you couldn’t tell the difference between him and NPFL players. I’m not sure if he made the final list, but he was in camp with the last set of players. This shows that we are monitoring exceptional talents in the league.”
Eguavoen, who guided the Super Eagles to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), also mentioned that the team will find out their group opponents on Monday when the CAF draw takes place in Morocco.
At the time of this report, the Nigeria National League is having week seven matches of the 2024/2025 season with some games streamed live, affording opportunities for this players to be watched and possibly earn national team call-ups.
