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    Eric Chelle has singled out Tosin Oyedokun for special praise after the midfielder impressed during the Super Eagles preparations for the Unity Cup clash against Zimbabwe in London.

    The Ikorodu City midfielder earned his invitation following a strong campaign in the Nigeria Premier Football League, where he scored four goals and provided three assists in 32 appearances.

    Although Ikorodu City narrowly missed out on a CAF Confederation Cup spot after a final-day defeat to Rangers International, Oyedokun’s performances attracted the attention of the Super Eagles coaching crew.

    Speaking before Tuesday’s fixture, Chelle admitted several home-based players had caught his attention in training, but reserved special praise for the midfielder’s composure in possession.

    “Some of them are good with the ball, like Tosin, who plays for Ikorodu City,” Chelle said.

    “But the most important thing is that they try to understand what we want for this team.”

    Chelle praises Ikorodu City star Oyedokun ahead of Zimbabwe clash
    Ikorodu City star Tosin Oyedokun – Getty image

    Home-based players facing pressure

    The former Mali coach acknowledged the difficulties local league players face when trying to impress within a short period in the national team setup.

    “It is difficult for these players because they have to show something after two training sessions. Maybe they can have a lot of pressure,” he explained.

    “I want them to come with motivation. You are playing for Nigeria, and the only pressure you can have is to give everything on the pitch.”

    Chelle also encouraged the players not to fear mistakes during games.

    “After that, you will make a lot of mistakes, but this is not the end, because if there are no mistakes, there are no goals in football. Don’t be scared of anything; be ready to go to war.”

    Unity Cup opportunity for NPFL stars

    The Super Eagles coach added that the Unity Cup provides an important platform to evaluate talents from the domestic league, especially with several Europe-based players unavailable outside the FIFA international window.

    “Like I said when I was in Nigeria, I wanted to give a chance to home-based players. They can show their strengths, and this is a good tournament,” Chelle added.

    The defending champions begin their Unity Cup campaign against Zimbabwe on Tuesday in London.

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