Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has revealed his plans to use the upcoming Unity Cup invitational tournament as a platform to test new players and implement different tactical systems.

The three-time African champions will participate in the four-nation tournament alongside Ghana and two other teams, with their first match against the Black Stars scheduled for Wednesday at the Gtech Community Stadium in Brentford, London.

Chelle, who has selected 10 home-based players for the competition, emphasized the importance of giving opportunities to Nigerian talent. "We have lots of players in Nigeria so we need to give chance to lots of players who can show us their quality," the Malian tactician stated during a press conference in London on Monday.

"We are focused, we have a project, we want to create an identity so we need to put players who can learn quickly this project," he added. "Unity Cup is a project to try some players, try some other systems and be ready in September."

The Super Eagles coach revealed that he had personally scouted talent in Nigeria, attending two league games to analyze potential national team candidates. "I spent time to analyse some players and I think there are some quality players who deserve a chance because I believe they can bring lots of intensity, aggression," Chelle explained.

Notably, Chelle defended his decision to include veteran forward Ahmed Musa in the squad alongside nine other Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) players. "I picked 10 players from the NPFL and I can tell you they are good players. Ahmed Musa is a great player which every Nigerian knows, this is the reality and it is the fact," he stated.

"He can bring his quality and experience because he knows the game because he played lots of big games so he can bring something to the group," Chelle added, highlighting the value of Musa's experience to the squad.

The squad for the Unity Cup also features fringe players like Cyriel Dessers and Christantus Uche, indicating Chelle's commitment to widening the talent pool available for national team selection.

Following their match against Ghana, the Super Eagles are also scheduled to face Russia in a friendly match as part of their preparations for competitive fixtures later in the year.