Eric Chelle’s new selection problem: Where does Moses Usor fit in Super Eagles?

Moses Usor’s case for a first Super Eagles call-up is no longer only about goals and assists but about where Eric Chelle could use him, Afrik-Foot reports.

The 24-year-old LASK forward has started the 2026-27 season with three goals and four assists in eight matches in all competitions. In the Austrian Bundesliga, he has two goals and three assists from five appearances.

He then added a different kind of evidence in Europe. Usor scored and assisted in LASK’s extraordinary 5-1 extra-time victory over Celtic on 25 August, helping the Austrian club overturn a 3-0 first-leg defeat and reach the Champions League league phase. The exciting forward registered one goal and one assist across the two play-off matches.

The question now is less straightforward than “Is Usor good enough?” It is: what does Chelle do with him?

The 4-3-3: Usor as the flexible winger

A 4-3-3 would probably give Usor the clearest route into Chelle’s team.

Imagine Victor Osimhen at No. 9, Ademola Lookman on one flank and Usor on the other. The attraction is not simply having three fast attackers. It is the movement between them.

Usor can operate from either wing. Starting him on the right would allow him to receive wide before moving inside onto his stronger left foot. That could create a second attacking lane next to Osimhen.

Starting him on the left would produce a different picture. Usor could attack the full-back directly, move into the box and create space for Nigeria’s left-back to overlap.

His performance against Wolfsberger AC offered a useful example of that attacking involvement. He played 88 minutes, created three chances, had seven touches in the opposition box and supplied an assist in LASK’s 3-1 victory.

That is important because a winger who spends more time near the penalty area gives Osimhen another player to combine with.

The 4-2-3-1: The more interesting experiment

The 4-2-3-1 creates a different possibility. Chelle could place Osimhen or Tolu Arokodare at the top and use Usor as the No. 10. That would not mean turning him into a traditional attacking midfielder who spends the match between the lines.

Instead, Usor could begin centrally and drift towards either wing. His movement could pull a midfielder or centre-back away from the striker, opening a channel for Osimhen to attack. That could be particularly useful against teams that defend Nigeria with two compact lines.

Usor’s numbers suggest he can influence attacks rather than simply finish them. His seven goal contributions in eight matches include four assists, while his Champions League data show eight dribbles and 10 passes into the penalty area across two matches.

A 4-2-3-1 would therefore give Chelle a way to test whether Usor’s creativity works centrally without asking him to replace the team’s main striker.

Could Usor play with Arokodare or Osimhen?

This is where the selection question becomes more complicated. Arokodare gives Nigeria a different type of striker. His height and physical strength provide an obvious target, while Usor could operate around him.

Against a deep defence, Arokodare could occupy the centre-backs while Usor moves into the spaces around him. Against a high defensive line, Usor’s pace and ability to carry the ball could become more valuable.

The same principle applies to Osimhen, although the chemistry would look different. Osimhen naturally attacks the spaces behind defenders and is comfortable moving across the front line. Usor could exploit the space created when the Galatasaray striker pulls a centre-back away from the middle.

That makes Usor potentially more useful as a supporting attacker or attacking midfielder than as a one flank winger.

The problem: Nigeria already has established wingers

Chelle cannot simply create a place because Usor is in form.

Ademola Lookman is now at Atlético Madrid and brings Champions League experience, while Samuel Chukwueze has established himself as one of Nigeria’s regular wide attacking options. Moses Simon also offers years of international experience and a different type of threat from the left.

Lookman’s versatility is particularly relevant. He can play wide or closer to the striker, meaning he could occupy some of the same spaces Chelle might want Usor to use. That creates the real selection dilemma.

Usor’s current club numbers are excellent, but Nigeria’s established players offer something statistics from the opening weeks of a season cannot measure: familiarity with the Super Eagles, experience in major international matches and an understanding of Chelle’s demands.

The question is therefore not whether Usor has produced enough to enter the conversation. He clearly has. The question is whether his particular qualities give Nigeria something that its established attackers do not.

The European stage changes the argument

Usor’s Champions League qualification matters because Usor’s form is no longer limited to Austrian league football.

LASK lost 3-0 at Celtic Park on 19 August. Six days later, they produced a 5-1 comeback in Linz, with Usor scoring during the extra-time victory. UEFA now lists LASK’s league-phase fixtures against AEK Athens, Liverpool, Sporting CP, Slovan Bratislava, Bodø/Glimt, Fenerbahçe, Real Madrid and Porto.

That schedule could become another part of his case. Regular exposure to Champions League football will test his decision-making, movement and ability to cope with better defenders. It also gives Chelle a larger sample from which to judge him.

The selection could be about changing games, not starting them

There is another solution that may suit everyone. Chelle does not have to start Usor. He could use him as an attacking substitute when Nigeria need to change the shape of a game.

Imagine Nigeria leading but facing a tiring defence. Usor enters from the right, moves inside and attacks the space around the striker.

Or Nigeria are chasing a goal. Arokodare comes on as the central target while Usor moves behind him, giving the Super Eagles two different attacking routes. That flexibility may ultimately be his strongest argument.

Nigeria’s next AFCON 2027 qualifiers will bring Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau into the picture, with the Super Eagles needing a strong start to their campaign.

Chelle has established options. Usor gives him another one. And that is why his potential first call-up creates a tactical problem rather than simply solving one. The challenge is no longer finding a reason to select Moses Usor. It is finding the right place for him once he gets there.