Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, has pledged to give his all to secure Nigeria’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Chelle was officially introduced during a grand ceremony held at the media conference room of the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja. He signed a two-year contract with the option to extend for an additional year.

In his speech, Chelle expressed gratitude for the opportunity. “I want to thank my agent, the NFF, the NSC, and all Nigerians for this big opportunity.

Coaching the Super Eagles of Nigeria is an incredible job, and I do not take this appointment lightly. I’m overjoyed and committed to doing my absolute best,” he said.

Known for his preference for attacking football, Chelle highlighted his approach to the game, saying, “Football is about scoring goals, so I favour an attacking style.

I understand the expectations of Nigerians and will work diligently with my team to achieve our shared goal of World Cup qualification.”

Carlo Ancelotti, manager of Real Madrid, praised Kylian Mbappé despite his team’s disappointing 5-2 loss to Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday.

Ancelotti expressed his disappointment with the overall performance but noted Mbappé’s standout contribution in the match.

The French forward, who joined Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain, gave his team an early lead in the 5th minute with a well-taken goal.

He also earned a penalty for the Los Blancos, showing his continued impact on the field.

However, Barcelona quickly turned the game around, with goals from Lamine Yamal, Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, and Alejandro Balde before the break, and Raphinha added a fifth shortly after halftime.

Ancelotti admitted the match was frustrating, noting that even with an extra player, Real Madrid struggled to find solutions.

“The game was not good from the first minute to the last,” he said. “I’m sad about the game as a whole.

I can’t take anything away from it except Mbappé’s performance, who scored a great goal in a good move.”

Looking ahead, Ancelotti urged his team to forget the defeat and focus on their next challenge.

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has weighed in on his former team’s dramatic penalty shootout win over Arsenal in the FA Cup third round on Sunday.

The match ended in a 1-1 draw after 90 minutes and extra time, with United clinching the victory 4-2 in penalties.

However, the game was not without its controversies, mainly surrounding a penalty decision in the 69th minute when Harry Maguire was adjudged to have fouled Kai Havertz inside the box.

Referee Andy Madley pointed to the spot in favor of Arsenal.

Despite the lack of VAR to review the incident, Arsenal’s Martin Ødegaard missed his penalty, and goalkeeper Altay Bayindir saved both Ødegaard’s and Havertz’s spot kicks during the shootout.

Ferdinand, clearly impressed by the team’s resilience, shared his thoughts on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

“Another battling performance… desire, willingness to fight as a team! ManUtd.

Bet the ref’s gutted,” Ferdinand tweeted, hinting at the controversial moments during the match. He followed up with a playful, “Have that!”