Frankfurt vs Leverkusen: Tella’s standout display poses selection dilemma for Chelle
Super Eagles forward Nathan Tella delivered a standout performance in Bayer Leverkusen’s clash against Eintracht Frankfurt, Soccernet.ng reports.
The former Southampton forward opened the floodgates of goals that ultimately ended in a 4-1 victory for Xabi Alonso’s men.
Tella latched onto a precise through ball from Granit Xhaka before unleashing an unstoppable shot into the bottom left corner from the edge of the area.
Nathan Tella Bayer04 Leverkusen. [Photo Credit/ Imago].This impressive performance further complicates coach Eric Chelle’s selection decisions ahead of the upcoming 2026 World Cup qualifiers later this month.
The former Burnley player last featured for the Super Eagles of Nigeria in 2023 against Zimbabwe, where he played for only 45 minutes.
Having scored four goals in 32 appearances, with his stunning strike against Frankfurt being his latest, he appears to be one of the players under consideration for selection.
Nathan Tella in action for Bayer Leverkusen [Photo credit/Imago]As earlier reported by Soccernet, Tella has expressed his desire to return to the Super Eagles squad but remains humble about his selection chances.
“This is not for me to say. Like I said, I’ve never been a player that says, ‘I should be called up.’ On merit, I have to work hard and earn my chances. If the new coach [Eric Chelle] thinks I’ve done enough, then I’d happily accept the call. But if not, that means I have to work harder,” he said.
It is now up to the new Super Eagles boss to make his final decision, but it has been revealed that Chelle will announce his squad in the coming week.
Ayomide Oguntimehin
Ayomide Oguntimehin is a CAF-accredited sports journalist and Editor at Soccernet.ng, with a proven track record in conducting interviews with Super Eagles stars such as William Troost-Ekong, Taiwo Awoniyi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, Ademola Lookman, and many others. He has also made a significant impact in breaking transfer news stories.
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