“He will be fired” — Ex-NFA secretary warns Eric Chelle over World Cup qualification

By Monsurah Olatunji

Former Nigeria Football Association (NFA) General Secretary, Alhaji Sani Toro, has issued a stern warning to Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle, stressing that failure to qualify Nigeria for the 2026 FIFA World Cup will lead to his dismissal.

Chelle, who was appointed in March, began his tenure with a win over Rwanda but drew criticism following a lackluster draw against Zimbabwe in his second match.

Nigeria currently sits on seven points from six matches—six points behind group leaders South Africa—raising concerns about their qualification hopes.

Speaking to Nation’s Sports, Toro underscored the importance of the upcoming qualifiers, drawing on his own experience during Nigeria’s historic qualification for the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

“They have given the coach (Eric Chelle) a target. Let him work towards it and qualify for the World Cup,” Toro said.

He emphasized the need to support the coach fully, allowing him the freedom to make key squad decisions without external interference.

“Let’s give him enough support to achieve it. He should be given a free hand to select the players he knows can help him. We should not be dictating to him,” Toro added.

Despite confirming that Chelle’s contract is not explicitly tied to qualification, Toro made it clear what the consequences would be.

“If he succeeds, well and good, then his contract will be renewed. If he doesn’t succeed, definitely, he’s going to be fired.”

Currently in Egypt to observe the Flying Eagles at the U-20 Africa Cup of Nations, Chelle is expected to also oversee Nigeria’s youth national teams and the CHAN Eagles.

With the World Cup qualification format allowing only group winners to advance automatically—and the best four second-placed teams entering a playoff—the pressure on Chelle continues to mount.

Samuel Ahmadu

Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.

See Full Bio