2026 WCQ: Samson Siasia Insists Eric Chelle’s Super Eagles Need Spiritual Help to Qualify

• The Super Eagles of Nigeria are on the brink of missing out on the 2026 FIFA World Cup next year
• Nigeria are six points adrift of qualifying Group C leaders South Africa with four matches to go
• Former head coach Samson Siasia has made a worrying admission about the team's chances

Former Super Eagles head coach Samson Siasia has made a worrying admission about the team's chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Nigeria has played six matches in the CAF qualifying series and have seven points, leaving them in fourth place, six points behind group leaders South Africa.

Portuguese manager Jose Peseiro managed the draw against Lesotho and Zimbabwe in the opening two games, before Finidi George drew South Africa and lost to Benin Republic.

Eric Chelle came in promisingly, beating Rwanda 2-0 away at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali, but a disappointing 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe in Uyo dented the hopes.

Siasia rates World Cup chances

Former Super Eagles coach Siasia claims the team needs a miracle to qualify for the tournament. He made this known in an interview with Brila FM before the games against Rwanda and Zimbabwe in March.

“I think they would need a miracle, but at the end of the day, it’s all about the fact that it sinks, right?” he said.

“So they have to go out there and do their best, give it their best shot. Because, as difficult as it is, nothing is impossible.”

The former Olympics coach was one of the indigenous coaches rumoured to be in contention for the coaching role after Augustine Eguavoen stepped aside as interim coach.

The Nigeria Football Federation hired Franco-Malian coach Chelle to take charge of the team and Siasia’s message to the manager was to implement unity, urgency and commitment.

He claimed that the former Mali head coach should talk to the players, and also urged the players to talk to themselves to understand the importance of the task at hand and what they must do.

“If we all come together, we have great players. It’s just for them to come together and play as a team, to score goals. I think they have to win the rest of their matches to qualify,” he added.

“Nothing is impossible,” he concluded.

According to OwnGoal Nigeria, one of Super Eagles’ hopeful moments is that FIFA will hit South Africa with three points deduction for fielding the ineligible Teboho Mokoena against Lesotho.

This would drop the points difference between the two sides to three and a victory in Johannesburg could bring the Eagles back in play and have a chance at automatic ticket.

Chelle explains his squad selection

Legit.ng reported that Eric Chelle explained his team selection after naming separate squads for the 2025 Unity Cup and the international friendly against Russia.

The manager earlier claimed that the Unity Cup would help him try new players when it was confirmed, and naming 11 home-based players justified his words.

Proofreading by Omoleye Omoruyi, copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng