Soccer
Super Eagles and Kasımpaşa defender, Kenneth Josiah Omeruo, has backed Nigeria’s new coach, Eric Chelle, to lead the three-time AFCON Champions to a place in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 31-year-old has been struggling for fitness this season, with his last club appearance coming in his side’s 3-3 draw against Victor Osimhen‘s Galatasaray in September 2024.
In all competitions for Kasımpaşa this season, Omeruo has played just five games, accruing a total of 160 minutes in those games. Despite his lack of action with his club side, the former Chelsea man remains one of the integral senior members of the Super Eagles team.
Quizzed for his opinion about the decision of the Nigeria Football Federation to appoint Eric Chelle as the head coach of the Super Eagles, Omeruo described it as a fresh opportunity for all the players.
“Everyone has to be serious now. It’s like an open trial because some of us haven’t been playing regularly. We have to show the manager that we deserve a place in the team if invited,” the former Leganes man said in quotes revealed by All Africa.
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The 2013 AFCON winner identified Eric Chelle‘s pattern with the Malian team and assured the new coach there would be no problem integrating the same style into the Super Eagles.
“Judging from the way the Malian team played, not just in friendlies but also at AFCON 2023, you can see an organized structure. I think he has something to offer the team. With the level of talent in the Super Eagles, he won’t have any problem getting us to play the way he wants,” Omeruo added.
The Super Eagles vice-captain also praised Nigeria’s interim coach prior to Chelle’s appointment, Augustine Eguavoen, for how he turned the team around after a poor run of games in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers under Finidi George.
“Kudos to Eguavoen for those games (AFCON qualifiers). When he took over, our confidence was low, but he helped us regain it. Now, when we are at our best, no country can stand against the Super Eagles,” the ex-Middlesbrough man concluded.
Nigeria are currently 5th place in their World Cup qualifiers group. Chelle kick-starts his 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification journey with a trip to the Republic of Rwanda on the 19th of March, before they take on Zimbabwe three days later.
Adefolahan Guerreiro
Adefolahan is a multilingual journalist and writer at Soccernet Nigeria.
With a track record of involvement in College sports, Adefolahan is focused on crafting engaging football content and utilising his language skills and extensive sports knowledge to enhance content accessibility for a global audience.
He has interviewed Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.
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