By Wale Mustapha
Nigeria head coach, Eric Chelle, has expressed belief in Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite their setback against South Africa.
Nigeria were held to a 1-1 draw by Bafana Bafana in Tuesday’s Matchday Eight fixture in Bloemfontein, a result that left their qualification hopes hanging by a thread.
The Super Eagles currently sit third in Group C with 11 points from eight matches, trailing group leaders South Africa by six points.
Speaking after the game, Chelle insisted his side would not throw in the towel.
“My players are professionals and I know they will still want to win the remaining two games,” Chelle said.
“A lot can still happen over the next one month. But before that, we will have to analyse our performance tonight, which will not be easy.”
The Super Eagles will next face Lesotho away when the qualifiers resume in September before rounding off their campaign at home against the Squirrels of Benin Republic.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
