Former Nigeria international Friday Ekpo has urged Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle to begin integrating younger players into the national team, warning that delaying the transition could create problems when experienced members of the squad eventually retire.
Ekpo believes Nigeria must develop a clear succession plan that allows emerging talents to gain international experience while learning from established players.
The former midfielder stressed that rebuilding the squad should be a gradual process rather than an abrupt replacement of senior internationals.
“It’s not that easy, but the coach should have such kind of programme for himself. He should know what to do,” Ekpo said.
“He should have seen that these players, they are above 30-plus, and they are almost out of it.”
Ekpo explained that younger players should be introduced during matches alongside experienced teammates to help them understand the demands of international football.
“You can bring in the younger ones, introduce them into the game, giving the older ones an opportunity to show them the way, how to go about it,” he stated.
“And then during the game, you keep changing them to see how they will fare when they finally take over from these people.”
His comments come amid discussions over the future composition of the Super Eagles, with attention turning towards building a squad capable of sustaining Nigeria’s competitiveness in upcoming international competitions.
Ekpo cautioned against discarding senior players before their replacements have gained sufficient experience.
“You can’t just push them out. We need the experience, we need the exposure, and the younger ones will have to learn from the older ones,” he insisted.
The former international believes the transition must begin immediately to avoid leaving Nigeria without adequately prepared replacements.
“So, it will take time, but we need to start doing it now,” Ekpo concluded.
With future Africa Cup of Nations and World Cup qualification campaigns ahead, Ekpo’s message to Chelle is to balance youth development with the experience required to maintain the Super Eagles’ competitive standards.
