Former Super Eagles striker Julius Aghahowa has just highlighted two critical areas the new manager, Eric Chelle must focus to elevate the Nigerian national team from it’s recent performance.
The Nigeria Football Federation, this week, announced the appointment of French-born Malian coach Eric Chelle as the new Super Eagle’s head coach.
There have been some criticisms of Chelle’s selection, but Aghahowa feels the new coach has the potential to return the Eagles to their former glory. Aghahowa believes that, while the Super Eagles have a wealth of potential, they suffer from low work rates and a weak mentality, which Chelle must address immediately.
“Hopefully, he’ll bring in a different kind of mentality,” Aghahowa told Brila FM.
“We don’t have a talent problem. I would like to see how he impacts the team’s work rate and mentality.“Our problem has always been the mentality of players coming from their clubs to represent Nigeria.”
The Super Eagles’ previous performances have shown a lack of mental resilience.
Nigeria lost numerous matches in 2024 despite gaining an early lead.
They scored first against Côte d’Ivoire in the AFCON final in February, Benin in a World Cup qualifier in June, and Rwanda in an AFCON qualifier in November—but lost all three games.
While the Super Eagles have secured their place at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, the previous AFCON champions are on the verge of missing out on the next World Cup.
Nigeria trails Rwanda, South Africa, Lesotho, and Benin in the qualification battle for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Eric Chelle, who was recently fired as Mali’s head coach following a terrible start to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, now confronts the onerous job of reversing Nigeria’s fortunes.
The 47-year-old will guide the Super Eagles through their remaining qualifiers, as the squad is currently suffering in their group. Chelle’s first duties in March will be vital, as Nigeria faces Rwanda and Zimbabwe in back-to-back World Cup qualifiers. Victories in both matches are critical for the country’s qualification ambitions.