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Chelle Says Super Eagles Can Still Qualify for World Cup if They Stay Strong
Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, remains hopeful that Nigeria can still secure a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite a rough start to the qualifiers. The team, currently sitting fourth in their group and trailing leaders South Africa by six points, faces a tough road ahead. With four games left, Chelle believes there’s still enough time to turn things around.
Nigeria’s recent victory at the Unity Cup in London has given the squad a much-needed morale boost. As they gear up for the crucial September and October qualifiers, Chelle is urging his players to raise their game. Reviewing their Unity Cup performance, he said, “We scored goals, created chances, and showed positive signs. What matters is playing as one – both in attack and defence.”
He stressed the need for more growth, not just in skill but in mindset. “We need to keep improving physically and mentally,” he said. “We have to become real warriors on the pitch.” The Super Eagles will host Rwanda in Uyo before heading to South Africa for their next qualifiers.
Super Eagles defender Calvin Bassey has opened up about a difficult period in his career, revealing that he almost stepped away from football.
Speaking during a recent interview, Bassey shared that he once made a personal promise to himself to quit pursuing football professionally if he failed to secure a spot at a professional club.
“I remember being 15 and going into my final year, and I told myself that if I didn’t get into a professional club, I would quit football. It was that simple,” he said.
“I would just stop pursuing it seriously and only play for fun. Thank God I eventually got a club, because I honestly don’t know where I would be otherwise.”
It has been reported that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) fined Egypt $5,000 following their clash with Zimbabwe for failing to manage post-match media obligations.
It was noted that after the match, the Egyptian players ignored the media. This action was said to be a violation of CAF’s media regulations, which led to the fine being imposed.
Head of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle, shared that the big-name players on the team are not happy about being benched.
He recalled when he took out Samuel Chukwueze during the match against Tanzania.
“Yes, of course, we’ve in this team a lot of big names. They are competitors; they aren’t happy when they go to the bench,” Chelle said at his post-match interview.”
“My job is to make choices, and we’re playing a 4-4-2 diamond, and at this moment I feel we have to protect the wing.”
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