Nigeria’s Road to Glory: Coach Chelle's Ultimate World Cup Challenge

Following the appointment of French-Malian Eric Sekou Chelle as manager of the Nigerian national football team, the Super Eagles, there have been mixed reactions. This is indicative of Nigerians' strong interest in the team's success as well as the fear that football fans have about the team's ability to make it to the World Cup next year and do well in the upcoming Africa Nations Cup.

Pundits are worried about whether Chelle is the best candidate to lead the Super Eagles during this crucial period. Although it will be simple to support either side of the argument, doing so won't solve the underlying issues preventing soccer's growth in Nigeria; and for which no simple answers exist. Nevertheless, the difficulties present a significant barrier to the nation's success in global contests.

Given the situation and Nigeria's actual time constraints, it would appear that the sensible course of action is to mobilize support for the new coach and establish a supportive environment that will allow him to match his resolve with the right kind of action. In the past, very few Super Eagles coaches were exempt from harsh criticism; in fact, several of them disproved their detractors.
 

The announcement of Chelle as the manager of the Super Eagles by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) sparked a wide range of responses. While some commentators, including former members of the national team, called the appointment a slap in the face of Nigerian football fans who have witnessed the success of coaches like Otto Gloria, Father Tiko, Adegboye Onigbinde, and the highly successful Clemence Westerhoff, others think that with enough time and encouragement, the man who led Mali to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals will do well for Nigeria.

Given that Nigeria is in a perilous position in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and needs a mature head to lead it through the remaining games of the qualifying series, the NFF's hiring of the Malian is seen by some as a mistake. Some believe that selecting a rookie, who is regarded in France as a smart man-manager and one of the up-and-coming talents in the field, will give the Super Eagles a new lease on life after the recent setbacks the nation's football has experienced, including their failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup hosted by Qatar.

Notably, the NFF has maintained that the new manager is capable of leading Nigeria to the World Cup before South Africa, which is in a better position.

Strangely, several former internationals who have never backed a coach, including their former teammates like Finidi George, who was fired after two subpar performances against South Africa and Benin Republic, are criticizing the new manager the most.

In addition to the fact that Chelle is what Nigeria now has, the problem goes beyond him because the nation has been beset by a number of disputes and scandals that have prevented the manager and the team from focusing on what they need to do well.

Football stakeholders should be concerned about how to guarantee that Chelle has the proper circumstances to carry out his duties effectively.

Recriminations are no longer necessary. In the fight to get Nigeria back to the World Cup, the new manager needs all the help he can get.
If he wins the two upcoming games in March, his position will be enhanced as he has less than six months to prove himself.

Nigeria's failure to qualify for another World Cup after winning the African Footballer of the Year awards back-to-back with Ademola Lookman in 2024 and Victor Osimhen in 2023 will be an anomaly.

Although the NFF, led by Shehu Gusau, has made a number of audacious choices in the past 12 months, choosing Chelle to coach the Super Eagles is a significant risk that the federation must support with the necessary funding.

The Super Eagles have had a difficult start to their qualifying campaign, losing 2-1 to the Republic of Benin after drawing 1-1 with South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho. With seven points apiece, Rwanda, South Africa, and Benin now lead the group, followed by Lesotho with five and Nigeria with three. Nigeria must so win each of her final six games to prevent missing the World Cup twice in a row.

In March, the Super Eagles will play Rwanda away in Kigali to start their World Cup qualifying campaign. A few days later, they will play Zimbabwe at home.

Although Chelle is aware of the magnitude of the task at hand, the coach, who will receive $50,000 per month, appears confident in his ability to complete it. The Malian sounded confident that he would perform well in his role when he was introduced to Nigerians last month.

Chelle acknowledged the widespread criticism that followed his appointment and pledged to use his team's on-field performance to win over the opposition. In addition to earning the nation a spot in the World Cup, Chelle promised to revive the attacking style of football for which the nation was known. Nigerians must support the coach if these ambitious goals are to be realized.

In order for the coach to succeed, the NFF must first make sure the correct circumstances exist. Making sure the players show up on time for each game's preparations is part of this. The practice of showing up for a game less than 48 hours prior to kickoff was the cause of the nation's dismal showing in the qualifying series.

Once more, the coach must be allowed complete discretion in selecting players by the NFF and the technical committee. Instead of trying to force players on the coach, some of whom don't add anything to the team, the technical committee is supposed to advise the coach when it feels it's necessary.

The new manager has a lot of work ahead of him. In addition to making sure that the players give as much to Nigeria as they do to their clubs, he must address the low level of fitness of Nigerian athletes selected for national team duty.

The Malian takes over a midfield that lacks confidence and brevity, and some of the players are obviously unfit to play for the national team anymore. The coach should have an advantage over opponents like South Africa, Rwanda, Lesotho, Benin Republic, and Zimbabwe because he is an African coach with experience working with some African teams.

But if he gets the help he needs to perform the magic Nigerians demand from their coach, the challenge would be easier.