Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, insists Nigeria is far from out of the race to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite sitting in a difficult position in their qualifying group.
After six matches in Group C, the Super Eagles are fourth with seven points, trailing leaders South Africa by six points. The Bafana Bafana top the table with 13 points, while Rwanda and the Benin Republic sit just ahead of the Eagles with one-point advantages.
Chelle, who only took charge of the last two qualifiers, securing a 2-0 away win over Rwanda in Kigali and being held 1-1 by Zimbabwe in Uyo, remains optimistic.
His predecessors, Jose Peseiro and Finidi George, had failed to win in their combined four outings.
“People have already written us off. But I am not bothered by that,” Chelle said in an interview with UK-based Nigerian journalist, Osasu Obayiuwana, during the 2024 CHAN tournament in Tanzania.
“I am concentrating on preparing my players for the remaining four matches that we have. I think that we are going to surprise a lot of people.”
Nigeria will regroup in Uyo on September 1 to begin preparations for the next phase of qualifiers. They will host Rwanda on September 6 before travelling to Bloemfontein for a high-stakes clash against South Africa three days later.
The final stretch of the campaign will see the Super Eagles play Lesotho away and then round off at home against the Benin Republic in October.
Meanwhile, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Benin are closely monitoring FIFA’s decision on a potential points deduction for South Africa, which allegedly fielded an ineligible player during their 2-0 victory over Lesotho in March.
A ruling against South Africa could dramatically reshape the group standings and breathe new life into Nigeria’s World Cup dream.
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