Eric Chelle Lands in England, Could Convince Chelsea, Arsenal Stars to Make Nigeria Switch
- Eric Chelle is in England as the newly appointed Super Eagles coach is set to meet with his players
- Action returns to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in March and Chelle is already prepping his squad
- The tactician could also make efforts to convince some players of dual citizenship to consider playing for Nigeria
The newly appointed Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has landed in England in a bid to meet with Nigerian players in the Premier League.
With just over one month left before action returns to the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Chelle is already reaching out to squad members.
As he meets players in England, the coach is expected to outline his vision ahead of the forthcoming crucial matches.
Source: Getty Images
According to Soccernet, Chelle is billed to see Fulham duo Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey, as well as Nottingham Forest stars Taiwo Awoniyi and Ola Aina.
The Franco-Malian tactician is also scheduled to meet with Joe Aribo and Paul Onuachu of Southampton.
Further reports claim the manager is joined by his assistant, Hedi Taboubi, and the main task is to ensure Nigeria wins the games against Rwanda and Zimbabwe.
Chelle to convince Chelsea and Arsenal star?
Meanwhile, it was gathered that Chelle could make efforts to convince some Nigeria-eligible players to consider the Super Eagles.
Top on the list are Arsenal teenage sensation Ethan Nwaneri and Chelsea's Tosin Adarabioyo.
Michael Kayode of Brighton has also been touted to commit his international future to Nigeria.
Also, Chelsea star Lesley-Ugochukwu, currently on loan at Southampton, has yet to decide between Nigeria and France.
Impressive midfielder Wilfred Ndidi, who recently returned from injury, might also meet with the new Super Eagles coach to discuss the upcoming fixtures.
Nigeria struggling in World Cup qualifiers
The Super Eagles's chances of qualifying for the next FIFA World Cup are hanging in the balance.
Nigeria have managed just 3 points from four matches, as they sit fifth in Group C trailing leaders Rwanda, Benin and South Africa who all have 7 points each.
The three-time African champions played 1-1 draws with Lesotho, Zimbabwe and South Africa before losing 2-1 to Benin Republic in Abidjan.
Only the top team will pick a ticket to the global showpiece to be hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Upon his appointment as the Super Eagles coach, Chelle's main task is to secure the ticket to the Mundial. The manager said via Punch:
“As I’ve said before, my focus is on my players and March.
"We need to concentrate on the World Cup qualifiers first, and after that, in October, we can start thinking about AFCON. For now, we need to win two games in March.”
Nigeria face Rwanda in Kigali on March 21 before returning to Uyo for the must-win clash against Zimbabwe four days later.
Mutiu Adepoju sends message to Chelle
Legit.ng earlier reported that former Nigerian international Mutiu Adepoju has urged Chelle to focus on selecting the best players.
Adepoju made the remarks shortly after the draws for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations were concluded.
He urged Nigerians to give total support to the new coach, saying that Nigeria has to qualify for the World Cup. We just have to support him.
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Source: Legit.ng
