Chelle Opens Up On Why Nigeria Missed 2026 World Cup

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has reflected on Nigeria’s failed bid to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, identifying the home draw against Zimbabwe and the playoff defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo as the defining moments that ended the team’s hopes.

Speaking in an interview with JustRiadh TV, Chelle said he inherited a difficult situation after taking charge in January, with Nigeria having collected just three points from their opening four qualifying matches.

“I was appointed in January last year. When I arrived, Nigeria had three points out of 12, so we fought hard to try to qualify,” Chelle said.

The Franco-Malian tactician explained that although the Super Eagles managed to force their way into the playoffs, they were eliminated by DR Congo in a penalty shootout.

“Having reached the playoffs, we lost against the Democratic Republic of Congo. We lost on penalties; they deserved the victory,” he admitted.

Chelle also pointed to the 1-1 home draw against Zimbabwe as a costly setback, saying Nigeria failed to capitalize despite being in control of the match.

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“It’s true that in some matches, like against Zimbabwe, we drew at home while the match was in our hands. In the end, these two dropped points hurt us a lot. We drew in South Africa,” he said.

Despite the disappointment, Chelle maintained that the Super Eagles had the quality to reach the tournament.

“Of course, we are disappointed because we felt we had the ability to qualify for the World Cup,” he added.