Super Eagles: Key problem facing Eric Chelle ahead of AFCON 2027 qualifiers

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has one problem that dwarfs the rest as Nigeria prepares for the start of their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign next month, Afrik-Foot reports.

FC Porto defender Zaidu Sanusi, Nigeria’s first-choice left-back for the last four years, suffered a right adductor injury during Saturday’s 3-0 win over Académico Viseu at the Fontelo Stadium, leaving the pitch in the 18th minute. Porto coach Francesco Farioli then told reporters the injury “seems serious”, with further tests to follow.

The timing could not be worse. Nigeria begin their AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign at home to Madagascar on 23 September, before travelling to face Guinea-Bissau four days later, and both matches are already must-wins in a group that also contains co-host Tanzania.

Eric Chelle faces Super Eagles left-back problem

Zaidu’s likely absence would be manageable in isolation. The problem is that Chelle’s next two options are either injured, out of form or now operating at a level well below international standard.

Werder Bremen’s Felix Agu is already carrying his own fitness concerns and is a doubt for the September window, leaving Bruno Onyemaechi as the only available option at left-back.

Jamilu Collins, who spent years as Nigeria’s back-up on the left, is no longer a realistic option either, having dropped down to Erzgebirge Aue in the German 3. Liga, a third-tier standard that is difficult to justify at Super Eagles level given the pool of European-based Nigerians still playing top-flight football.

Right-back abundance, left-back problem

The temptation, given the shortage on the left, is to point to the abundance on the right. Chelle has more right-backs than he knows what to do with.

Nottingham Forest’s Ola Aina is fit and running and Banik Ostrava’s Abdullahi Bewene, Blackburn’s Ryan Alebiosu and Birmingham City’s Bright Osayi-Samuel are all fighting for the deputy slot behind him.

The problem is that every single one of them is right-footed and are natural right-backs.

Flipping a right-footed right-back over to left-back is one of those tactical fixes that looks tidy on a team sheet and rarely holds up on a pitch, particularly in international football.

The ball ends up on the wrong side of the body when the full-back tries to overlap, the crosses are dragged inside rather than delivered on the run, defensive body shape is compromised when opponents attack the outside shoulder, and the natural instinct to cut inside rather than reach the byline flattens the width.

The alternative is to slide reigning Fulham’s Calvin Bassey out from centre-back to left-back, a role he has filled competently during Jose Peseiro’s time as the Super Eagles head coach.

However, moving Bassey creates a second problem where there was previously none, breaking up the Bassey-Ajayi centre-back pairing and forcing either Emmanuel Fernandez or Chibuike Nwaiwu to fill the vacant slot.

The Zaidu injury exposes a structural imbalance that has been building in the Super Eagles squad for at least two international windows.

Nigeria have too many quality right-backs and too few left-backs. The right-hand side of the squad is deep enough to leave a debutant like Christian Akpan out entirely and still start an argument about who deputises for Aina.

The left-hand side is one Onyemaechi injury away from choosing between a right-footed makeshift or a centre-back playing out of position.

If Chelle finds a way through the September qualifiers without Onyemaechi being tested for 180 minutes, that will be luck rather than planning.

The longer fix is finding, capping and trusting at least one more natural left-footed left-back before the AFCON 2027 finals arrive in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania next June. Everything short of that is patchwork.