Joel Ajayi
Former Deputy Governor of Edo State Comrade Philip Shuaibu has said that with coming of new coach Eric Chelle the Nigeria Super Eagles will qualify for the 2026 World Cup.
Former Sand Eagles player stated this on Thursday in Abuja when he visited National Sports Commission NSC Director General Bukola Olopade in his office.
According to him, the good thing is that, we have a French coach now, not just Malian, but a French coach.
“I know some of us in Africa want to claim him as our, for me is a French coach that we have I think the statistics speaks volumes. That is what we need to look at., though I saw pockets of resistance Nigerians. It’s normal. I think what is key is for us to look at the statistics that he is bringing on board.
“And there’s one factor that we must deal with, and until we deal with that factor, we continue to have foreign coach as our national team.
“If any of the local coaches take us to this qualifying, and God forbid we don’t qualify it might not raise more dust but if its local coaches NSC, NFF will be in trouble
“So, we need to first take that mentality of, until we get to that level of knowing that our own indigenous coach can do what the foreign coach can do.
“And I think in the wisdom of the National Sports Commission and the NFF, they’ve given us a new coach. And one thing I know about this coach is that, when I look at the Malian team, at the Africa Nations cup in Cote devoir, you see young boys, and our Nigerian team is now full of these young boys.
“So, bringing him at this time shows that the NFF, the technical committee, have done their check. And from my own thinking and from my own experience of what I saw him do with Malian team, I think we have a new coach that will bring out the best out of them.
“I’m seeing this coach Eric Chelle being to bring younger players together.
“So, if he’s bringing that on board, with Coach Eric Chelle, I am sure, Nigeria Super Eagles will be Los Angeles come 2026. “
