Nigeria’s disappointing outing at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations Championship (CHAN) in Morocco reignited fierce debate over the relevance of home-based players to the Super Eagles. After a poor Group D campaign marked by blunt attacking play and costly defensive lapses, the CHAN Eagles exited early following defeats to Senegal and Sudan, rendering a final win over Congo meaningless.

The team’s struggles drew heavy criticism from fans, many of whom blamed questionable selection choices—particularly the decision to rely heavily on players from a single NPFL club, Remo Stars. The backlash was swift and severe, with calls for some players to be permanently excluded from future national team consideration.

This failure forced even long-time advocates of local player inclusion to reconsider their stance. Historically, Nigeria’s greatest successes—AFCON titles in 1994 under Clemens Westerhof and 2013 under Stephen Keshi—were built around strong home-based cores.

However, recent underwhelming performances in CHAN and CAF inter-club competitions have cast doubt on whether today’s NPFL players can match the standards set by past legends.

Former Super Eagles star and African Footballer of the Year, Victor Ikpeba, added fuel to the debate by insisting that the senior national team is “too big” for home-based players, backing coach Eric Chelle’s decision to exclude them from the 2025 AFCON squad. He argued that the Super Eagles is not a platform for experimentation.

That view, however, was challenged by analyst Segun Agbede (“The Guru”) and others who maintain that dismissing local players outright is unfair and damaging. While acknowledging the NPFL’s organisational shortcomings and limited exposure for its players, critics of Ikpeba’s stance argue that talent still exists and that some foreign-based invitees have also failed to justify their selection.

Questions were also raised about Chelle’s squad management, as several foreign-based players travelled to Morocco only to remain unused. In such cases, it was argued that including promising local players—even if they didn’t play—could have provided valuable exposure and motivation.

Ultimately, the argument is not that all NPFL players are ready-made Super Eagles stars, but that the league is not devoid of talent. Poor administration has masked potential, and sweeping condemnation risks destroying player morale and future development. Constructive criticism is necessary, but writing off local players entirely could do more harm than good.