By Dayo Awoniyi
Former Nigeria striker Yakubu Aiyegbeni has criticised Nigeria’s persistent neglect of Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) goalkeepers, describing the trend as a failure of developmental planning under head coach Eric Chelle.
Chelle, appointed in early 2025, drew scrutiny after consistently inviting Tanzania-based goalkeeper Amas Obasogie ahead of home-based options.
Despite featuring in at least eight matchday squads during the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff campaign, the Singida SC shot-stopper did not make a single appearance and is still awaiting his senior debut.
Speaking on the Home Turf podcast, Aiyegbeni questioned the logic behind Chelle’s selections, arguing that national team coaches have traditionally included “one or two home-based players” to encourage domestic development.
“You brought in a goalkeeper from Tanzania—did you watch him in goal before?” he asked. “I don’t think the coach has watched him. If he won’t play, why not give that opportunity to an NPFL goalkeeper who needs the exposure?”
Aiyegbeni added that calling up a foreign-based goalkeeper only to keep him on the bench “makes little developmental sense,” urging Chelle and the Nigeria Football Federation to show greater faith in NPFL players and provide a clear pathway into the national team.
Obasogie remains behind more experienced goalkeepers in the pecking order, a situation that has intensified ongoing debate about the Super Eagles’ approach to integrating home-based talent.
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.
