Former Super Eagles striker Julius Aghahowa has outlined two critical areas Eric Chelle must address to elevate the Nigerian national team, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Nigeria Football Federation, this week, announced the appointment of French-born Malian coach Eric Chelle as the new handler of the Super Eagles.
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There have been a few oppositions to the appointment of Chelle, but Aghahowa believes the new coach could get the Eagles soaring again.
According to Aghahowa, while the Super Eagles boast an abundance of talent, they suffer from poor work rates and a weak mentality — issues he believes Chelle must urgently tackle.
“Hopefully, he’ll bring in a different kind of mentality,” Aghahowa told Brila FM.
“We don’t have a talent problem. I would like to see how he impacts the team’s work rate and mentality.
“Our problem has always been the mentality of players coming from their clubs to represent Nigeria.”
The Super Eagles' lack of mental resilience has been evident in recent performances.
In 2024 alone, Nigeria lost several matches despite taking early leads.
They scored first against Côte d’Ivoire in the AFCON final in February, Benin in a World Cup qualifier in June, and Rwanda in an AFCON qualifier in November —yet ended up losing all three games.
While the Super Eagles have sealed their spot at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, the former AFCON winners are on the verge of missing out on the next World Cup.
Having won none of their first four qualifying matches, Nigeria trail Rwanda, South Africa, Lesotho, and Benin in the qualification race for the 2026 Mundial to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Eric Chelle, recently dismissed as Mali’s head coach after a poor start to their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, now faces the daunting task of reversing Nigeria’s fortunes.
The 47-year-old will lead the Super Eagles in their remaining qualifiers, with the team currently struggling in their group.
Chelle’s first assignments in March will be crucial as Nigeria take on Rwanda and Zimbabwe in back-to-back World Cup qualifiers.
Victories in both matches are essential to revive the country's qualification hopes.
