Eric Chelle is yet to lose any of his first five games with the Super Eagles but Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup remain slim
Former Nigeria international Sylvanus Okpala has expressed deep frustration over the Super Eagles’ dwindling hopes of reaching the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Soccernet.ng reports.
The former C.D. Nacional star is convinced he could have helped secure qualification had the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) acted on his offer to work alongside Austin Eguavoen, even without a salary.
Okpala, a 1980 African Cup of Nations winner and a former C.S. Marítimo midfielder in Portugal, was part of Stephen Keshi’s backroom staff when Nigeria lifted the 2013 AFCON title. His pedigree in Nigerian football is well established, but the 63-year-old says his advice to the NFF last year was ignored.
When Finidi George resigned as head coach after a brief tenure, Eguavoen stepped in on an interim basis and steered Nigeria to a single defeat in six AFCON qualifying matches, securing a ticket to the 2025 tournament.
However, his short-term stint ended, and the NFF turned to Malian coach Eric Chelle in January.
The decision, Okpala says, has proven costly.
“When we had six matches left in the qualifiers, our destiny was still in our hands,” Okpala told the Sun.
“Now our destiny is no longer in our hands. Austin Eguavoen was doing well as the Super Eagles’ manager. Why remove him? I cried out and advised the NFF to leave Eguavoen to prosecute the remaining six matches in the World Cup qualifiers and we would qualify for the World Cup.
“I said if they doubted me, they should allow me to join Eguavoen as a coach, and we would qualify for the World Cup. I even wrote to the football authorities to allow me to join Eguavoen in the coaching crew. I did it with the late Stephen Keshi. I warned them not to bring a foreigner. I told them that the problem with Nigerian football can only be solved by Nigerians.
“I went as far as telling them not to pay me salaries. I told them to pay me only camp allowances and match bonuses whenever we won any match, they should not pay me salaries. But I suggested that we would have a written agreement that if we qualified for the World Cup, I would be entitled to an agreed amount of money.
“All I said fell on deaf ears and they went ahead and brought a foreigner (Eric Chelle).”
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Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying campaign had already stalled before Chelle’s appointment. Under previous management, the team failed to win any of their opening four matches.
Chelle has since overseen two games — a 2-0 win away to Rwanda and a frustrating 1-1 draw at home to Zimbabwe — leaving the Super Eagles with seven points from six matches.
The Eagles now sit six points behind Group C leaders South Africa and must not only win their remaining fixtures but also rely on favourable results elsewhere to secure a place at the finals.
Okpala laments how the situation has shifted from one of control to one of desperation.
“Then we still had six games in the World Cup qualifying race. Our destiny of going to the World Cup was in our hands. But, today, it’s no longer in our hands. We now not only have to win all our remaining matches, but we need other countries to go and win their matches for us to qualify for the World Cup. You can imagine that.”
Nigeria last played at a World Cup in 2018, exiting at the group stage in Russia.
Imhonlamhen Eronmhonsele
Imhonlamhen Eronmhonsele turns into a ball of passion when writing about Nigerian football and its talents, whether rising stars or established legends, locally and abroad.
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.