Nigeria head coach Éric Chelle was among the spectators at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Stadium on Sunday as Enugu Rangers secured a 2-1 victory over Bendel Insurance in a Matchday 37 encounter of the Nigeria Premier Football League.
Veteran striker Godwin Obaje delivered a match-winning performance for Rangers, scoring in the 25th and 62nd minutes. Bendel Insurance had briefly restored parity through Owoleiyafah in the 40th minute before Obaje converted from the penalty spot to seal the win for the Flying Antelopes.
Chelle’s appearance at the game is part of his ongoing nationwide scouting mission aimed at evaluating home-based players ahead of the 2026 Unity Cup, which is scheduled to hold in London from May 25 to 30.
The invitational competition will feature the Nigeria national football team alongside Zimbabwe national football team, India national football team and Jamaica national football team.
The Franco-Malian coach has stepped up his monitoring of players in the domestic league in recent weeks. He attended the fixture between Shooting Stars and Nasarawa United last weekend and had earlier visited the Mobolaji Johnson Arena to assess more NPFL stars.
Chelle is expected to unveil his squad for the Unity Cup later this week.
Nigeria will face Zimbabwe’s Warriors in the semi-final clash at The Valley on Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
