NFF technical director Augustine Eguavoen has thrown his weight behind Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle, backing the Franco-Malian to enjoy success in his new role, Footynaija.com reports.
Chelle will take charge of his first game as head coach of the Nigeria national team on March 21 when the Super Eagles take on Rwanda in their must-win 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match.
The giants of Africa desperately need a win to get their qualifying campaign back on track after enduring a slow start that has seen them record three draws and one defeat from their first four games.
Related Post
Eguavoen, who took interim charge of the Super Eagles back in 2021 following the departure of Gernot Rohr before taking on his current role as NFF technical director, has expressed full confidence in Chelle’s abilities.
“At the senior team level, you need to give the coach all the support you can give him,” Eguavoen said as per Brila.
“He will make his decisions, and we won’t force him. If you force him, you’re interfering because it’s about results now, and if anything goes wrong or right, he will be held responsible.
“I think he’s a very good coach. They played some decent football, and in the last two or three games, Mali beat us, and he was in charge.
“Mali isn’t Nigeria. If you compare us, we have more talent than the Malian team. As a human being, he’s a wonderful guy. As a coach, he’s a good coach.
“We’ll work closely with him, provide him with all the resources he needs, and give him the freedom to make his own decisions.”
The task ahead
Eric Chelle has his work cut out for him as Nigeria currently sit second from the bottom in their World Cup qualifying group.
They trail upcoming opponents Rwanda by four points and require a victory against the Amavubi and Zimbabwe to climb up the table.
To secure a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup set to be hosted in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, the Super Eagles must win all their remaining qualifying matches while hoping other results go their way.
