Former Super Eagles B head coach, Imama Amakpakabo, has expressed concerns over the challenges facing the CHAN Eagles following the rescheduling of the 2025 African Nations Championship, CHAN.
Initially set to be held from February 1 to February 28, 2025, the biennial tournament has been postponed to August, with CAF yet to announce the exact dates.
In an interview with Brila.net, Amakpakabo noted that the delay could disrupt team preparations, particularly with the risk of losing key players due to overseas transfers, which would render them ineligible for the competition.
“It’s a difficult situation, but the same issue we have is what other countries will also face. It depends on how well we can put our players together,” he explained.
The former coach emphasized the need for Nigerian clubs to retain their best talents by offering competitive perks to prevent mass departures.
“What makes our players leave is better working conditions and better remuneration. If they are leaving for those reasons, can we stop them?
The federation should dig deep into their pocket and attract more investors into the league to make the players stay.”
He also stressed that frequent player exits could force Nigeria to repeatedly rebuild their team, undermining efforts to achieve consistency.
“One of the problems Nigeria has is continuity. Most of these players are going to leave and then they will have to start afresh again.”
The 2025 CHAN tournament, exclusively for players in Africa’s domestic leagues, will be co-hosted by Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania.
Nigeria will aim to surpass their best-ever finish as runners-up in 2018 by assembling a cohesive squad capable of making a significant impact.
