Former Super Eagles defender, Abiodun Obafemi has urged the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) not to be discouraged by the disappointing outing at the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN).
He stressed the need for a long-term structure that guarantees consistency and preparedness.
Nigeria failed to impress at the recent CHAN tournament, raising fresh concerns about the integration of home-based players into the national team setup.
However, Obafemi believes the setback should be seen as an opportunity to rebuild properly rather than abandon the project.
“Honestly, if the coach decides not to invite any home-based players, we should not be discouraged,” Obafemi said.
“Before we start gathering another set of players for the next CHAN tournament, we should already have a standby national team. It costs us nothing. The season is always busy, but whenever there’s a little time, like mid-season, we should put something together.”
The former Olympic gold medalist explained that having a standby team, regularly managed by local coaches, would ensure Nigeria is always prepared for tournaments like CHAN.
He suggested that the national team’s head coach should play a supervisory role, while home-based coaches take charge of training and monitoring the players consistently.
“I love what he (Chelle) is doing; he’s a hard-working man,” Obafemi added. “He could supervise while local coaches handle the team directly.”
Obafemi insisted that only consistent preparation and structured development will deliver better results for the Super Eagles B in the future.
