“Unity Cup a great opportunity to explore players at home” -Okpara

The former Nigerian international, Godwin Okpara, believes that the next Unity Cup presents a crucial opportunity for the chief coach of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle, to evaluate the talent at home and potentially integrate them into the configuration of the national team.

Okpara said that since Chelle’s appointment, there has been a limited opportunity to observe national players in a competitive environment.

With the Unity Cup offering a structured platform, the former defender is optimistic that he can serve as a valuable exploration field.

“They have to try and verify to know what is working. They can’t do it well if they don’t,” Okpara said in an interview with Brila FM.

“This tournament is the perfect time for him to see some areas that he did not have the opportunity to see then, to look at home here in Nigeria, to see the players who can do something for the nation.”

Okpara emphasized that the objective should not be to identify a single prominent, but to find several national players capable of challenging their counterparts based abroad for the initial positions.

“Not only a player, we need several players to bank foreign players,” he added.

The Unity 2025 Cup is scheduled for May 26 to 31 at the Brentford Gtech community stadium in London.

This year’s tournament will see four teams participate: Nigeria, Ghana, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.

The semifinal accessories begin with Trinidad and Tobago against Jamaica on Tuesday, May 27.

On Wednesday, May 28, Nigeria will close horns with the Archirival Ghana in what promises to be the outstanding accessory of the round.

The tournament will conclude on Saturday, May 31, with third place playoff and the final. For Chelle and his coaching staff, it is an opportunity to deepen the team’s pool, prepare for the World Cup qualifiers in October and begin to shape the next generation of Super Eagles.