By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigerian football legend Victor Ikpeba has lauded the Super Eagles for their fighting performances in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, with special praise for striker Victor Osimhen and coach Eric Chelle.
Ikpeba, a former African Footballer of the Year, commended Osimhen for his commitment and attitude, particularly his three-goal haul in the qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
“I loved the commitment and attitude of Osimhen; he gave everything and scored three goals,” Ikpeba said on SuperSport TV’s Monday Night Football.
Ikpeba also defended Osimhen’s fiery reaction after the match against Zimbabwe, acknowledging that “such things happen” in the heat of competition.
The Nigerian football icon further praised Chelle for bringing a new fighting spirit to the Super Eagles, suggesting that had Chelle been appointed earlier, the team’s position in the qualifiers might have been stronger.
“Had we appointed him earlier, we would have been in a better position on the table,” Ikpeba added.
Despite the draw against Zimbabwe, Ikpeba remains hopeful about the Super Eagles’ chances of qualifying for the World Cup, urging the team to regroup and push forward in September.
“We still have a chance to qualify. It’s for the boys to regroup in September and go for it again,” he said.
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.
