Eric Chelle: Eagles Need to Get Better for 2026 World Cup

Super Eagles Coach Eric Chelle has emphasized that his team needs to significantly improve to secure a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup finals in the USA.

After winning the Unity Cup in London, Chelle acknowledged the positives from the tournament but stressed that Nigeria must work on its weaknesses, particularly in defense and offense.

The Super Eagles are currently preparing for their third friendly game against Russia in Moscow and will resume their World Cup qualifying campaign in September with crucial matches against Rwanda at home and South Africa away.

Chelle’s men are fourth in Group C with seven points, six points behind leaders South Africa, and need to win all their remaining matches to stand a chance of qualifying.

“We have an important goal in September. We saw this as an opportunity to give many players a chance to show what they can do,” Chelle said. “During the Unity Cup, we scored goals, we created chances, and we showed some very good things in our game. But of course, we still need to work. We have weaknesses. We need to improve, to step up as a group and as a team, especially if we want to qualify for the World Cup.”

Chelle emphasized the importance of teamwork, mental and physical preparation, and becoming “warriors on the pitch.”

He also identified strengthening the team’s defense as a key area of focus, utilizing upcoming friendly matches to field new defenders and improve the team’s overall performance.

PUNCH