Former Super Eagles coach James Peters has placed the blame for Nigeria’s failed 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign on the federation’s handling of coaching appointments, describing the outcome as entirely avoidable, Footynaija.com reports.
The qualifying campaign was disrupted by managerial changes throughout, with Jose Peseiro, Finidi George and Eric Chelle each taking charge of matches at different points, a level of instability that left the team without the continuity needed to build any real momentum.
Nigeria ultimately fell in the final round of the playoffs against DR Congo on penalties in Rabat in November, ending their hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup. For Peters, the constant chopping and changing at the top is where the rot began.
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Speaking in a report by Sports247, the former Nigeria coach was blunt in his assessment.
“The failure was man-made,” Peters said.
He went further in explaining where he believes the federation went wrong in its decision-making over the years.
“We toyed with our chances by giving the job to people who were not qualified,” he added.
Peters did not lump Chelle into that criticism, instead pointing to timing as the issue. Chelle was appointed in January 2025 and went on to transform the team, winning 11 and drawing seven of his first 18 games while leading Nigeria to a third-place finish at the 2025 AFCON with a record 14 goals scored across the tournament.
That form, though, arrived too late to rescue the qualifying campaign that had already been damaged by the coaching changes before him.
“Eric Chelle is one of the best coaches we’ve hired, but he came too late,” Peters stated.
Chelle has since confirmed his intention to stay on and build with the same group of players, and Peters’ comments add further weight to calls from within Nigerian football for the NFF to finally commit to long-term stability in the dugout rather than repeating the pattern that derailed this campaign.
