President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Ibrahim Musa Gusau, has voiced his support for Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle but made it clear that World Cup qualification will be crucial in determining his long-term future.
In an interview with journalist Osasu Obayiuwana in Casablanca, Gusau addressed the growing pressure surrounding the national team after a frustrating start to their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign.
“We are doing our best to prepare the team,” Gusau said. “Even though we’ve not won a match at home, we’ve not lost either. I still believe that by the grace of God, we will qualify for the World Cup in the USA, Mexico, and Canada.”
The Super Eagles’ qualification hopes took another blow following Matchday 6 results.
Nigeria now sit fourth in Group C with seven points from six matches, trailing behind South Africa (13 points), Rwanda (8 points), and Benin (7 points).
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South Africa extended their lead with a 2-0 victory over Benin in Ivory Coast, while Rwanda played out a goalless draw with Lesotho in Kigali.
Eric Chelle is yet to lose a game as Super Eagles Coach. Photo Credit: X
The stakes are higher than ever, as only group winners will qualify automatically for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“Chelle inherited the team in a difficult situation. We cannot assess him on just one issue,” Gusau said when asked whether Chelle would be retained should Nigeria fail to qualify.
“But if he continues to get the results going forward, we’ll consider what he brings to the team and take it from there.”
Chelle, who replaced Finidi George following Nigeria’s 2 games winless run in the qualifying campaign, has been given full freedom to work.
Super Eagles. Photo Credit:X
Gusau revealed that the coach personally requested to take charge of the CHAN Eagles in order to identify domestic talent and also insisted on having his preferred assistants.
“We gave him everything he asked for. He told me that despite all the challenges, Nigeria will qualify. That’s his belief, and we stand behind him,” the NFF president added.
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However, Gusau acknowledged that should things spiral out of control, the federation could be forced to make a tough call.
“We are not planning to take any decision at the last minute, we know how dangerous that is. But if the team delivers a disastrous performance before AFCON, you journalists will be the first to call for change,” he noted.
With just four qualifiers remaining before the final table is decided, Chelle faces a race against time to rescue Nigeria’s campaign and avoid back-to-back World Cup absences.
