Shooting Stars General Manager, Dimeji Lawal has emphasized that the ongoing Unity Cup tournament presents a perfect opportunity for home-based players to showcase their talents alongside their foreign-based counterparts.

Speaking to BenriNews, Lawal noted that the busy international break will give Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle adequate time to blend both sets of players and implement his tactical philosophy.

"This is the phase for him to be able to identify his players and work closely with them," the former Super Eagles midfielder explained. "If all he does during the season is to have only two or three days to work with those players, now he will have enough time to see them in different games."

Extended Training Period Benefits

Lawal highlighted that the tournament in London, coupled with the upcoming friendly against Russia at Stadion Luzhniki in Moscow on Friday, provides a rare extended period for the coach to work with the squad.

"So, he will be able to fully introduce his ideology and philosophy of football. You can't do that in a proper tournament, because there's no time enough for that," Lawal continued.

"But, during this period, he can work with them extensively and tell them this is the way he wants them to play."

The Unity Cup has already generated significant interest among Nigerian football fans, with the Super Eagles showing promising performances. The tournament serves as vital preparation ahead of more competitive fixtures and gives the Malian coach an opportunity to assess the depth of talent available to him.

For home-based players especially, this international window represents a rare chance to impress the national team coaching staff and potentially secure more regular call-ups in the future.