Eric Chelle Faces Major Defensive Crisis Ahead of Super Eagles World Cup Qualifiers
- Eric Chelle is poised to take charge of the Super Eagles for the first time in the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualification fixtures
- The Franco-Malian tactician recently admitted the difficulty of assembling a fitting squad for the fixtures
- A report detailing the 47-year-old manager facing a major defensive crisis has recently surfaced
Eric Chelle has been greeted with a subtle head-scratching moment ahead of Nigeria's upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification fixtures.
The new Super Eagles coach, who is saddled with the already daunting task of qualifying the Nigerian team for the showpiece in the Americas, has seen what is already a herculean task become even more challenging.
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The 47-year-old, who recently admitted how difficult the squad selection process for the Super Eagles has been, is now faced with the daunting task of resolving the Nigerian team's defensive issues after a recent report from media outlet, OwnGoalNigeria.
Chelle faced with defensive issues
According to the report, the Super Eagles currently have only three fit central defenders—Gabriel Osho, William Troost-Ekong, and Calvin Bassey—heading into their FIFA World Cup qualification fixtures.
The report points out that several other regular defenders, including Kenneth Omeruo and Semi Ajayi, are dealing with injuries and match rustiness.
The report concludes by suggesting that Coach Chelle may be forced to call up Leon Balogun—who recently expressed his desire to continue representing Nigeria—or consider Jordan Torunarigha or Kevin Akpoguma to fill the defensive void.
It’s worth noting that earlier reports have indicated that the new Super Eagles manager seems to prefer a three-player defensive system over the traditional four-player setup.
Given the unavailability of several central defenders, Coach Chelle may need to employ adaptive strategies to achieve the desired results.
The Super Eagles will face the Amavubi of Rwanda on March 19 before hosting Zimbabwe at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium three days later, according to data from Fotmob.
Chelle handed timely Lookman boost
Legit.ng in another report detailed that Coach Chelle has been handed a timely boost after reports of Ademola Lookman returning to fitness surfaced.
The marquee attacker had suffered an injury at Atalanta ahead of their UEFA Champions League clash against Barcelona. The CAF Men’s Player of the Year was expected to be sidelined for an extended period. However, recent reports have hinted that the forward could be recovering well ahead of schedule for Nigeria’s FIFA World Cup qualification fixtures.
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Source: Legit.ng
