Super Eagles’ coach, Eric Sekou Chelle has hinted that he will unleash another ‘surprise package’ on his team’s next opponent at this year’s ongoing Unity Cup in London, Sports247 reports.

Speaking against the backdrop of Tuesday’s 2-0 victory over Zimbabwe in the competition’s opening match at Charlton Athletic FC’s home ground, The Valley, Chelle said he was impressed with what his array of rookies were able to achieve against The Warriors.

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While not singling out any of the lads for particular mention, the Franco-Malian tactician admitted he was surprised by the team’s performance, considering that most of the lads were playing together for the first time.

The former coach of Mali’s national team and MC Oran football club of Algeria further hinted that many of those who featured in Tuesday’s game justified their inclusion in the list of invitees and showed that they can even be counted on to feature in the main Nigerian squad.

With his eyes now fully set on Saturday’s final at the same venue, Chelle inferred that he may not roll out the same starting 11, considering that some of Nigeria’s Grade-A players are also in camp and were rested for the opening game in order to give the rookies their own opportunities to shine.

However, Chelle noted further that there’s a strong likelihood of the next clash being against perennial Unity Cup rivals, Jamaica, who dragged the Eagles into penalties’ shootout before Nigeria could win last year’s final at Brentford’s BTech Stadium also in London.

With that in mind, the gaffer is already thinking of tinkering his squad list for the final but, while keeping hid plans close to his chest, Chelle stressed that the enthusiasm of all the lads in camp has made it possible for him to roll out tactical surprises at will.

Chelle said, “I was truly surprised by the performance of the players against Zimbabwe. I was surprised, because they played as if they had been together for six months or one year.

“In reality, it was the first time, but they showed that we can always make surprises happen in the Unity Cup. We are now looking at the next opponent in the final.”

Sports247 gathered that there is a strong possibility that Wilfred Oyinyen Ndidi will captain the squad on Saturday, while Moses Simon and Jerome Akor Adams line out alongside new rave of the moment, Femi Azeez, in attack.

Air passengers are increasingly arriving at airports unaware that their flights have been delayed, rescheduled or cancelled, a situation the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) says is being worsened by poor communication between travel agents and travellers.

The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection at the NCAA, Michael Achimugu, raised the concern in a video posted on his official X page on Tuesday.

According to him, many complaints received by the regulator involve passengers who booked tickets through third-party agents but failed to receive important updates directly from airlines.

Mr Achimugu said many travel agents use their own phone numbers and email addresses during bookings, leaving passengers dependent on them for information on delays, cancellations, and schedule changes.

In recent months, both domestic and international passengers have repeatedly complained about arriving at airports only to discover that their flights had either been cancelled or rescheduled without their knowledge, leaving many stranded for hours.

One such incident occurred on 27 April, involving passengers travelling aboard Ethiopian Airlines through Abuja to destinations including India.

Some of the affected passengers told PREMIUM TIMES that they travelled long distances for their international departures only to discover at the airport that the flights had been disrupted.

Several passengers said they never received any prior notification because their tickets were booked through travel agents.

One of the passengers, who identified himself as Yusuf Muhammad, said they depended entirely on their agents for updates from the airline.

According to him, the agents later claimed they had not received any information about the disruption.

The incident reportedly left several passengers stranded at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, with some forced to spend the night at the terminal before arranging alternative travel plans the next day.

Reacting to the growing complaints, Mr Achimugu urged passengers to insist that their personal phone numbers and email addresses are used whenever tickets are booked through third parties.

“For the umpteenth time, I feel the need to say this. If you are booking your flight tickets through a third party, like a travel agent, please insist that they fill in your own phone number, or at least your email, when booking your ticket,” he said.

He added that, “The reason is because in our experience at the NCAA Consumer Protection Department, most of the cases of missed flights that have been recorded are because third-party passengers were not informed by their agents when they received notifications for delays, schedule changes and cancellations.”

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He also advised passengers to check their emails and text messages regularly before travelling.

“A lot of passengers have received emails and still went ahead to the airport for disruptions which they received notification for, only to discover later that they had received such notifications earlier,” he added.

The NCAA spokesperson further encouraged passengers to patronise registered travel agencies affiliated with the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies (NANTA), noting that such agencies can be held accountable for negligence.

“I would encourage you, from the NCAA perspective, to do business with travel agencies who are members of the National Association of Nigerian Travel Agencies ( NANTA),” he said.

Mr Achimugu said the increasing number of complaints linked to poor communication between airlines, agents and passengers highlights the need for travellers to take greater responsibility for monitoring travel information directly from airlines.