Eric Chelle is set to make bold changes as he leads Nigeria's Super Eagles in their bid to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Malian coach, tasked with revitalizing the Super Eagles, has pledged to select players based on merit rather than reputation.
Introducing Eric Chelle, New Head Coach of the Super Eagles #soarsupereagles #naija4thewin #letsdoitagain pic.twitter.com/zxY0GxmTAV
— Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) January 7, 2025
This shift could open doors for the likes of Chuba Akpom, Nathan Tella, and Chrisantus Uche—players excelling in Europe but overlooked in previous call-ups.
Akpom has enjoyed a resurgence, starring for Middlesbrough and Ajax before his recent move to Lille. Tella, who could win his first club goal award, is making an impact at Bayer Leverkusen. At the same time, Uche has emerged as one of La Liga’s standout talents.
However, none have featured in Nigeria’s recent AFCON or World Cup qualifiers.
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Instead, past selections have included injured or out-of-form players and club benchwarmers, a factor contributing to Nigeria’s poor World Cup qualifying campaign.
The Super Eagles remain winless after four matches, sitting fifth in Group C behind Rwanda, South Africa, Benin, and Lesotho.
With only the group winners securing an automatic spot at the tournament, Chelle faces a daunting task to reignite Nigeria’s qualification hopes.
Work begins
— Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) February 4, 2025
Éric Chelle’s first two games as Super Eagles head coach will be the crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers—Rwanda away and Zimbabwe at home in March, let’s go super eagles !!! pic.twitter.com/hNAHDTKLvn
Eric Chelle’s new Super Eagles approach
Akpom recently hinted at a fresh approach under Chelle, revealing a conversation with Nigeria’s top striker, Victor Osimhen.
The Napoli forward confirmed that the new coach will only call up players based on their club form and training performances.
“I was just speaking to Victor Osimhen about it after our game against Galatasaray,” Akpom told journalist Oluwashina Okeleji via ScoreNigeria.
“There are a lot of good strikers in the team, but I believe the national team should always be picked on merit. Victor said the new coach has the mentality that if you’re not performing in training or playing well for your club, you won’t get selected. I’m always open to it—if I get the call-up, it’ll be an honour.”
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) is expected to release Chelle’s squad list for the crucial qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe next month. The Super Eagles will travel to Kigali to face Rwanda on March 21 before hosting Zimbabwe in Uyo on March 25.
The Guardian reports that players will begin arriving in Kigali from March 16, with Chelle currently in Europe finalizing his selections.
“It will no longer be an all-comers camp,” the report stated. “The coach is focused only on players who can add value to the team.”
With Nigeria desperate to kickstart their qualifying campaign, Chelle’s fresh approach could be the turning point the Super Eagles need.
