{"id":826122,"date":"2025-02-11T10:12:24","date_gmt":"2025-02-11T16:12:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/11\/no-reason-nigeria-should-not-beat-rwanda-ex-super-eagles-coach-sends-eric-chelle-message\/"},"modified":"2025-02-11T10:12:24","modified_gmt":"2025-02-11T16:12:24","slug":"no-reason-nigeria-should-not-beat-rwanda-ex-super-eagles-coach-sends-eric-chelle-message","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/02\/11\/no-reason-nigeria-should-not-beat-rwanda-ex-super-eagles-coach-sends-eric-chelle-message\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cNo reason Nigeria should not beat Rwanda\u201d \u2013 Ex-Super Eagles coach sends Eric Chelle message"},"content":{"rendered":"

Soccer <\/p>\n

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Former national team handler Chief Adeboye Onigbinde has advised new Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle that effectively managing the country\u2019s vast talent pool will be crucial to success, Soccernet.ng<\/a> reports<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Nigeria boast some of the most recognisable names in world football, with Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi playing in England, Victor Boniface and Gift Orban shining in Germany, and Chuba Akpom and Moses Simon featuring in France.<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
Africa Cup of Nations Afcon 2023 match between Nigeria and Equitorial Guinea at Stade D Ebimpe on January 14, 2024 in Abidjan, Cote d Ivore. Photo by IMAGO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The likes of Chrisantus Uche and Chidera Ejuke ply their trade in Spain, while Samuel Chukwueze and Africa Player of the Year Ademola Lookman represent Italy\u2019s top clubs.<\/p>\n

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ADEMOLA LOOKMAN IS NAMED THE 2024 CAF MEN\u2019S AFRICAN PLAYER OF THE YEAR <\/p>\n

Europa League winner
Atalanta Player of the Season
Named in Europa League Team of the Year
\u26bd\ufe0f Hat trick vs. Leverkusen in the Europa League final
\u26bd\ufe0f 18 G\/A in Serie A last season
\u26bd\ufe0f 16 G\/A in\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/jsjMZkZQfu<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u2014 ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 16, 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Despite this wealth of talent, Nigeria\u2019s World Cup qualification campaign has been underwhelming.<\/p>\n

The Super Eagles sit fifth in Group C, trailing Rwanda, South Africa, Benin, and Lesotho. With only the group winners securing automatic qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Eric Chelle has a difficult task ahead.<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
New Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle. Photo Credit: NFF<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

After a period of instability, during which Finidi George and Augustine Eguavoen briefly led the team, Chelle\u2019s appointment has brought renewed focus.<\/p>\n

The Malian tactician has been tasked by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) with steering the Super Eagles to the World Cup for the first time since 2018.<\/p>\n

Get Our Sports News First \u2013 Join Our WhatsApp Channel Now!<\/a><\/h5>\n

He has already met with key players in Europe, including Iwobi, Ndidi, and Simon, as he looks to build a cohesive unit.<\/p>\n

The former Mali coach is also reportedly<\/a> looking to integrate talents from the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL).\u00a0<\/p>\n

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Head coach \u00c9ric Chelle and first assistant Hedi Taboubi visited some Super Eagles players ahead of the crucial FIFA World Cup qualifiers. #RoadToWorldCup2026<\/a> #SoarSuperEagles<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/fvHm1woBd7<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) February 8, 2025<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What message does Onigbinde have for Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle?<\/h4>\n

Onigbinde, who led Nigeria to the final of the 1984 Africa Cup of Nations and took Shooting Stars to the 1994 CAF Champions League final, believes Eric Chelle has an abundance of quality in attack, midfield, and defence.<\/p>\n

However, the former CAF and FIFA instructor insists talent alone will not be enough.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt depends on how you look at it,\u201d Onigbinde told Complete Sports<\/a>. \u201cIf you are thinking of the quality possessed by Nigeria, what I can call natural talents, then there is no reason why Nigeria should not beat Rwanda.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot only Rwanda but other teams in our group. Nigeria has the materials to be one of the best in the world. But then, how do we manage some of these talents?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"Soccer
Calvin Bassey, Ademola Lookman and Ola Aina and others during a Super Eagles team walk [Photo credit\/Imago]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nigeria\u2019s road to qualification resumes in March with fixtures against Rwanda and Zimbabwe. The Super Eagles will then face Rwanda again in August, followed by a crucial away tie against South Africa in September.<\/p>\n

With South Africa currently joint group leaders alongside Rwanda and Benin on seven points, Nigeria\u2014who have just three\u2014must find form quickly to keep their World Cup dreams alive.<\/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 national team handler Chief Adeboye Onigbinde has advised new Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle that effectively managing the country\u2019s vast talent pool will be crucial to success, Soccernet.ng reports. Nigeria boast some of the most recognisable names in world football, with Alex Iwobi and Wilfred Ndidi playing in England, Victor Boniface and Gift […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":826123,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[50018,461,2005],"tags":[9674,6509],"class_list":{"0":"post-826122","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-no","8":"category-reason","9":"category-soccer","10":"tag-no","11":"tag-reason"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/826122","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=826122"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/826122\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/826123"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=826122"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=826122"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=826122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}