{"id":822789,"date":"2025-01-29T10:11:57","date_gmt":"2025-01-29T16:11:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/29\/eric-chelle-is-a-good-coach-ex-besiktas-gk-backs-super-eagles-gaffer-in-hunt-for-world-cup-ticket\/"},"modified":"2025-01-29T10:11:57","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T16:11:57","slug":"eric-chelle-is-a-good-coach-ex-besiktas-gk-backs-super-eagles-gaffer-in-hunt-for-world-cup-ticket","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/29\/eric-chelle-is-a-good-coach-ex-besiktas-gk-backs-super-eagles-gaffer-in-hunt-for-world-cup-ticket\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cEric Chelle is a good coach\u201d \u2013 Ex-Besiktas GK backs Super Eagles gaffer in hunt for World Cup ticket"},"content":{"rendered":"

Soccer <\/p>\n

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Former Super Eagles goalkeeper Ike Shorunmu has expressed confidence in Eric Chelle\u2019s ability to lead Nigeria\u2019s national team to success, particularly in their bid to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Soccernet.ng<\/a> reports.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Eric Chelle, who was appointed earlier this month, made history as the first-ever non-Nigerian African coach of the Super Eagles.<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
JANUARY 13: Coach Augustine Eguavoen, Technical Director left with Eric Chelle right during the unveiled the new Head Coach of the Super Eagles, Eric S\u00c3 kou Chelle at the Media Conference Room of the MKO Abiola National Stadium on January 13, 2025 in Abuja, Nigeria. Photo by IMAGO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The former Mali national team coach and ex-Lens player\u2019s appointment initially sparked mixed reactions, with many fans expecting the Nigeria Football Federation to hire a high-profile European tactician.<\/p>\n

Get Our Sports News First \u2013 Join Our WhatsApp Channel Now!<\/a><\/h4>\n

However, support for Eric Chelle has been growing, with notable endorsements from Nigerian football legends such as Austin Okocha<\/a> and current Valencia forward Umar Sadiq. <\/a><\/p>\n

\"Soccer
REMO, NIGERIA \u2013 JANUARY 14: Eric S\u00e9kou Chelle after the Nigeria Football Federation unveiled the new Head Coach of the Super Eagles, Eric S\u00e9kou Chelle and a visit to Super Eagles B at Remo Stars Stadium on January 14, 2025 in Remo, Nigeria. Photo by IMAGO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Adding his voice, former Besiktas goalkeeper Ike Shorunmu has backed Chelle, emphasizing that the players\u2019 cooperation will be vital to achieving success under the new coach.<\/p>\n

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\u201cChelle is a good coach,\u201d Shorunmu told The Guardian.ng<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe players need to be at their best to ensure that World Cup qualification and the 2025 AFCON objectives are achievable. The players are the ones who will make this happen. The coach\u2019s job depends on the cooperation of everyone involved.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"Soccer
Ike Shorunmu (Nigeria). Photo by IMAGO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Chelle\u2019s immediate targets include securing Nigeria\u2019s qualification for the 2026 World Cup and leading the Super Eagles to a fourth Africa Cup of Nations title at AFCON 2025, scheduled for December in Morocco. Nigeria came close last year, reaching the final but losing to hosts C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire.<\/p>\n

On Monday, the AFCON draw was held in Rabat, Morocco, with the Super Eagles placed in Group C alongside Tanzania\u2019s Taifa Stars, Tunisia\u2019s Carthage Eagles, and Uganda\u2019s Cranes.<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
Nigeria Super Eagles at the 2002 FIFA WORLD CUP. Photo by IMAGO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Shorunmu remains optimistic but urged the players not to underestimate their opponents.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe team has a lot of talent and experience, with many players having featured in the AFCON before,\u201d the former Shooting Stars goalie added.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe group stage shouldn\u2019t be a problem if the players get their acts together. But after that, they need to give their all, just like they did in C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire. They were unlucky to lose the final, but they must not underrate any team.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Nigeria, a three-time AFCON champion (1980, 1994, 2013), will aim to end a 12-year wait for continental glory under Chelle\u2019s guidance.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"Soccer\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\tImhonlamhen Eronmhonsele\t\t\t\t<\/a>
\n\t\t\t<\/h3>\n

\n\t\t\t\tImhonlamhen Eronmhonsele turns into a ball of passion when writing about Nigerian football and its talents, whether rising stars or established legends, locally and abroad.<\/p>\n

From the deepest corners of the Middle East, to the green fields of the Americas, to the celebrated grounds in Europe, and the rich soils of Africa, Imhons is more than glad, usually with a glass of a tasty drink nearby, to capture the essence of the game, by connecting the dots between culture, identity, and football.\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Read More<\/a>Imhonlamhen Eronmhonsele<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Soccer Former Super Eagles goalkeeper Ike Shorunmu has expressed confidence in Eric Chelle\u2019s ability to lead Nigeria\u2019s national team to success, particularly in their bid to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Soccernet.ng reports.\u00a0 Eric Chelle, who was appointed earlier this month, made history as the first-ever non-Nigerian African coach of the Super Eagles. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":822790,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[140852,140853,2005],"tags":[140851,6198],"class_list":{"0":"post-822789","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-eric","8":"category-chelle","9":"category-soccer","10":"tag-chelle","11":"tag-eric"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/822789","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=822789"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/822789\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/822790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=822789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=822789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=822789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}