Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has pinpointed the 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe in Uyo as the critical moment that cost Nigeria a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, now underway in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Nigeria missed the tournament after losing a playoff to DR Congo on penalties, marking the second consecutive World Cup absence after also missing the 2022 edition in Qatar.
Slow Start in Group Stage
Nigeria's struggles began early in the group stage. Under former coach José Peseiro, the Super Eagles managed 1-1 draws against Lesotho and Zimbabwe. Finidi George then drew with South Africa and lost 2-1 to Benin, leaving Nigeria with only three points from the first four matches.
Chelle took over in January 2025 and started with a 2-0 win over Rwanda in Kigali. However, a late equalizer by Tawanda Chirewa forced Nigeria to a 1-1 draw at home in Uyo. The Super Eagles won their remaining four matches except for a 1-1 draw against South Africa, which was only enough to secure a playoff spot.
Chelle Reflects on the Missed Opportunity
In an interview with Algerian influencer Riadh Belaiche in Portugal, Chelle reopened the wound of missing the World Cup. He acknowledged that Nigeria fought hard to recover from a poor start but admitted DR Congo deserved the playoff victory.
“When I arrived, Nigeria had three points out of 12, so we fought hard to try to qualify. Having reached the playoffs, we lost against the Democratic Republic of Congo. We lost on penalties; they deserved the victory,” the Franco-Malian said.
Chelle specifically pointed to the home draw against Zimbabwe as the turning point. “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 added.
Impact of Dropped Points
If Nigeria had secured the extra two points from the Zimbabwe match, they would have finished ahead of South Africa and clinched automatic qualification. Chelle expressed disappointment, saying, “Of course, we are disappointed because we felt we had the ability to qualify for the World Cup.”
Nigeria's absence from the 2026 World Cup marks the second consecutive miss, following the 2022 edition in Qatar. Despite not being at the tournament, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has a case pending at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, seeking to oust DR Congo over fielding ineligible players.
Chelle Signs New Contract
Despite the World Cup disappointment, Chelle has agreed a new contract with the NFF to continue as Super Eagles head coach. He received an improved salary of $100,000 per month and will also take charge of the Nigerian Olympic team (U23) in a bid to reach the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
