Former Nigeria international Sam Sodje has called on the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) and Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle to begin preparations immediately for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.
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Sodje stressed that Nigeria must abandon its habit of late preparations, insisting that early planning is essential to ensuring a smooth qualification campaign.
“AFCON preparations must start now. We shouldn’t wait until the qualifiers are around the corner before putting our plans together,” Sodje said.
The former defender noted that Chelle should already be identifying the players best suited to his tactical philosophy while working closely with his technical crew to build a cohesive squad.
According to him, proper planning would allow the team to approach the qualifiers with greater confidence and consistency.
“The coach should already know what he wants from his players and the type of football he intends to play. Good preparation always produces better results,” he added.
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Sodje maintained that Nigeria’s approach to major competitions must evolve if the Super Eagles are to return to the summit of African football and compete consistently on the global stage.
He urged the NFF to provide the technical crew with the necessary support and resources to ensure the team is adequately prepared for the challenges ahead as it targets qualification for the next AFCON.
