Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle believes a successful outing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup playoffs will boost his team’s chances of winning the title at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Nigeria, Gabon, Cameroon and Democratic Republic of Congo will compete at the playoffs slated for Rabat, Morocco next week.
The Super Eagles will face the Panthers of Gabon in the first semi-final at the Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan Sports Complex, Rabat on Thursday, 13 November.
Chelle Targets AFCON Success
Chelle stated that it will be impossible to stop his team should they win the playoffs.
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‘Before AFCON, there’s a crucial target: the World Cup play-offs. The goal is to win those matches (note: against Gabon on 13 November and, if successful, the final on 16 November),” Chelle told CAFonline.
“If we win the first, we’ll aim for the second, then turn to AFCON. We’re working in parallel, but our mindset must first be on those immediate tests. When you coach Nigeria, you have to win everything. But we proceed with humility, with a smile and a will to work. This team has great players. If we stay serious, motivated and united, nothing is impossible.
“If we arrive on the back of play-off success, stopping us will be difficult.”
By Adeboye Amosu
4 Comments
You go fear mystery of playoff list. Abi them dey pad the list wey no one wan reveal until when camp go open on Sunday?
Olusegun didn’t play against SA in SA because he was denied a visa. How sure are we that all who will be called have visas to Morocco?
Maybe the players have been known and since told to get visas to Morocco long time ago.
I hope the secrecy will be worth it, at the end.
@ NFF, why una nor wan release the list of Super Eagles players for the World Cup playoffs? Abi they put Poison on the list?
Other teams don released theirs una still dey shuffle our own left and right.
Young Ebenezer Akansanmiro’s possible involvement in the upcoming playoffs most likely gone with the wind. I feel for the young man because he is a good player and could have contributed.
A raft of injuries afflicting this team of ours. One wonders if this current team is maybe cursed.
But that is also the risk you run when you try to get to The World Cup through the back door.
Hehehe, NFF doings! These guy’s are unbelievable. You can’t make this up. It’s stranger than fiction!
I saw a report where an unnamed senior SE player claims that the players bonuses have not being paid FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS.
Let that sink in.
So the team started the WCQ group games with bonuses unpaid.
Why are the bonuses unpaid? Where is the money? Well, if the money has not been paid to players, it has obviously gone elsewhere. Pockets have been lined, bank accounts are bulging with players bonuses.
Persistent corruption in the Glass House is sabotaging our football..
Ineptitude and corruption is the common factor in the operations of this NFF. This is why we are where we are today.