Mission Impossible? Ex-Super Eagles coach sends cheering message to Eric Chelle ahead of World Cup qualifiers

Benin Republic head coach Gernot Rohr has offered words of encouragement to new Super Eagles boss Eric Chelle ahead of Nigeria's bid to revive their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, Soccernet.ng reports.

The Franco-Malian Chelle was appointed by the Nigeria Football Federation earlier this month to lead the three-time African champions, with the clear mandate of securing a ticket to the World Cup, jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

However, Chelle inherits a precarious situation. Nigeria have endured a poor start to the qualifiers, managing only three uninspiring draws and suffering a shocking 2-1 defeat to Rohr's Benin in June.

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Rohr, who coached the Super Eagles from 2016 to 2021 and guided them to the 2018 World Cup and two Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, understands the enormity of the task Chelle faces.

Nigeria currently sit fifth in Group C, trailing Rwanda, South Africa, Benin, and Lesotho. Only the group winners secure an automatic World Cup spot.

Speaking to Nation Sports, Rohr extended his goodwill to Chelle, while acknowledging the difficulty of the job.

“Of course, I know Eric Sékou Chelle is now with Nigeria, and good luck to him. It’s not going to be easy (for Chelle) to qualify for the World Cup, but of course, everything is still possible,” Rohr said.

To secure qualification, Nigeria must likely win all six remaining matches while hoping for favourable results in other games.

Despite the odds, Chelle remains confident in his ability to turn things around.

Having managed lower-division French sides Athlético Marseille, Martigues, and Boulogne-sur-Mer, as well as stints with Mali and Mouloudia Club of Oran, Chelle believes his experience equips him to handle the challenges.