As far back as in 1575, ‘Too Many Cooks Spoil The Broth’ was already considered a proverb by George Gascoigne.

The understanding of this proverb is that if too many people are involved in a task or activity, it will not be done well. That is the route the new Super Eagles coach, Eric Sekou Chelle wants to take just 29 days to the first match against Rwanda in the FIFA window for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

In appointing Chelle last month, the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF told the world that he possesses what it takes to help the Super Eagles surmount the hurdle of the qualifiers which seems herculean.

At his unveiling in Abuja, the president of the NFF, Ibrahim Gusau said Chelle was considered because of his knowledge of African football.

But it seems that even before assembling his team for the first match, Chelle is already developing cold feet, showing that he lacks the capacity the NFF assured Nigerians he has.

Why do I say so? After touring Europe to chat with some of the Super Eagles players he is expected to invite for the crucial matches, Chelle is banking on support from some former Super Eagles players to help him motivate the players in camp and during matches.

The players mentioned include former captains of the team like Nwankwo Kanu, Austin Okocha, Vincent Enyeama and John Obi Mikel.

They are expected to join the home based assistants the NFF appointed for him as well as those he is coming with at his own expense.

If these former players are coming to motivate junior national team players in the Golden Eaglets, the Flying Eagles and the U-23 team, one can understand.

Players in the age-grade teams are still growing in the game and could look up to the legends that have seen everything in football, Nations Cup, Olympic Games, the World Cup, name it.

Tell me, what do players who play top flight football in Europe, and have even played in the AFCON, want to learn from these ex internationals that Chelle can’t tell them?

A coach the NFF said understands the mentality of African football better than Nigerian coaches like Austin Eguavoen, Finidi George and Emmanuel Amuneke?

This is a coach that is expected to be paid in scarce foreign currency. Yet he wants to rely on Nigerians that will earn nothing but just show patriotism only.

I don’t know whether Chelle knows that Okocha was captain of the Super Eagles when they failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup because they couldn’t beat Angola in Kano.

Or that Kanu played in a couple of AFCON but has no medal to show for it because they never won it each of those times?

The reality Chelle should understand is that the current Super Eagles players don’t need any former players to motivate because the green and white jersey they are putting on is enough motivation for them to want to ‘die’ for their fatherland.

What the players need is for the NFF to play their part by providing them everything they need, including their allowances and bonuses.

On their own part, the players should show enough hun- ger with determination to win games as they do when they appear in their clubs’ colours.

Chelle should equally ensure that he is not pressured from any quarter to field players who are unfit or good enough to be in the team.

Once he gets the right players he feels can deliver, then he too must ensure he understands the pattern of play of his opponents in order to make changes and adopt a plan B when plan A is not working.

That is why it is surprising that he has said he may invite non-playing captain of the team, Ahmed Musa who recently rejoined Kano Pillars to keep him busy while he searches for another club abroad. This is the same Musa that sat all through at the 2023 AFCON.

If Musa was very fit and useful in the AFCON team, why was he not fielded even as a substitute to change the game when it became clear that his teammates had run out of gas in that final match?

Wasn’t it the same promise made by their former Portuguese coach, Jose Peseiro that Musa would motivate his fellow players by being on the bench that Chelle is now making?

If Musa who sat on the bench during matches couldn’t motivate his colleagues, what makes Chelle think that Kanu, Okocha, Enyeama and Mikel who will be sitting inside the VIP box could be of help?

Talking about motivation, why would a Nigerian senior team need motivation to play countries like Rwanda and Zimbabwe if not that our football has really gone down the hill.

In time past, top African countries, including Egypt who are leading on the AFCON winners ladder as well as our fiercest rivals Ghana and Cameroon, get goose pimples when they hear they will be facing the Super Eagles.

That was because the team were always unpredictable. That is no longer the situation today as every Tom, Dick and Harry even coming to play the Super Eagles on our own ground think they can pick a draw or even a win.

That is why the NFF should be worried that Chelle is considering recalling a Musa that is no longer suitable for the rigours involved in top grade matches like the World Cup qualifiers. It is not enough for the NFF to say they won’t get involved in the list he will come up with.

They should equally be worried that the man they so trusted to take out the chestnut from the fire wants to recruit other cooks to prepare the broth he has been hand- ed to prepare and serve Nigerians.