After three months of travelling the length and breadth of Nigeria, watching domestic league matches, and communicating with his Europe-based stars online, Super Eagles coach Eric Sekou Chelle will take charge of his first game, against Rwanda, on Friday.
Malian Sekou Chelle became the first non-Nigerian African to be handed one of the most prestigious national team jobs in Africa when he was named Super Eagles coach in January, with a brief to dig Nigeria out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying hole they find themselves in.
After four games and two coaches, they are floundering on three draws and one loss. Chelle’s immediate brief is to get the Super Eagles a ticket to North America, despite sitting in fifth position on the log, four points adrift of Rwanda, who lead the group.
With only three training sessions with his wards before what is no doubt the biggest game of his career, what should fans expect from Chelle and his team?
Fighting spirit will be required
Make no mistake, this will be a fight from start to finish. Nigeria do not have a good record against Rwanda on the road.
In three previous meetings going back 20 years in Rwanda, the Super Eagles have all managed to come away with three draws from all three games. A 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifying match ended 1-1 at the Amahoro Stadium.
In 2011, a 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match at the Stade Regional de Nyamirambo, in the outskirts of Kigali, ended scoreless, and last September, it was another 0-0 in a 2025 AFCON qualifying match at the Amahoro.
One constant in those games has always been the fight and intensity brought by the home team, even when they line out with players whose talents and exposure are miles removed from those of the Super Eagles stars.
To expect any less from the hosts would be delusional. Which is why the Sekou Chelle’s Super Eagles must be expected to respond in kind. They cannot afford to be out-hustled and outfought in any part of the pitch.
Striker Victor Osimhen said in an earlier interview that the new coach has demanded that players give everything. His Mali team at the last AFCON were fighters, and if the current set of Nigeria players are as desperate as they say to make it to the World Cup, they will do as their coach says and fight.
Osimhen said: “He said ‘I need you guys to come and work with me to achieve amazing things with Nigeria. And I think you guys have the quality to do it. But the one who doesn’t fight for every ball, the one who doesn’t run will not play. He was clear with me.”
Captain WIlliam Troost-Ekong says the team are up for the challenge: “We’re fired up,” the defender said in an interview from the camp.
“We know we have a big job ahead. It comes with pressure but I keep saying to everyone that this pressure is a privilege, so all the boys are feeling that. We are very happy to work with a new coach, he has given us a lot of new instructions so for us it is just a matter of making sure that we understand what he wants from us and we are working towards that now.
“These are the key moments when you have to stand up but none of us are afraid of that and like I said, this pressure is a privilege for all of us.”
This is not unfamiliar territory to Nigeria. Sudan, in 2010, the Super Eagles were in a similar position and had to battle all the way with Yakubu and Obafemi Martins coming up with the goods in a 4-3 win.
If the Super Eagles grit it out, fight, contest every duel and make sure they win one more second ball than Rwanda, then their quality will tell. If not, their hopes of making it to North America will be hanging by the finest of threads.
How will they respond to adversity?
Whether they go a goal down, or see their lead erased by Rwanda, or just having a bad day at the office, how Chelle deals with in-game adversity to turn things around will go a long way to determine the perception he will get from the Nigerian football community.
Will his players hang their heads and let it get to them? Will the coach make the adjustments that will get them back in it? Will he make the right substitutions at the right time? There is precious little margin for error.
Some of the biggest issues Nigerian fans have had with coaches have been around in-game management. Chelle showed with Mali that he can play a high intensity attacking football involving every player.
What happens if the team do not respond the way he wants? Osimhen says the coach has spoken about bringing down the hammer on non-performers.
“He said he can be a father, a big brother, an uncle to everyone,” the forward said on the Obi One podcast. “But on the pitch it is business.
“He said, ‘We going to do amazing things, but I need you all to work with me. If the players see you running hard they will do the same. It starts from you guys. I might yell at you, but you understand that it is for you to set an example’.
Any line-up surprises on the cards?
The first thing most Nigerians will be looking out for is who makes the coach’s first line up. With only three training sessions with the new coach under their belt, it is hard to see the team changing much from the past.
For Chelle, the most important consideration, apart from players who are ready to leave it all on the Amahoro pitch, are those who will be quick on the uptake and execute as planned.
African Player of the Year Ademola Lookman, who is playing his first game for Nigeria since being crowned as Africa’s best player, says the team have been given a lot to digest: “We have had loads of meetings about how the manager wants us to play, our game plan and aspects of how we defend and attack.
“We are keyed into his ideas and we have implemented that in training and hopefully we can show that during the game.”
Defence all but picks itself, with William Troost-Ekong and Calvin Bassey the centreback pairing, while it would be surprise, barring injuries, to see anyone but Ola Aina and Bruno Onyeamaechi as fullbacks.
Midfield also looks similar in that respect, except it that could be where these three days of competition could play some roles. Alex Iwobi, Wilfred Ndidi and Raphael Onyedika looks sure bets to start, but Alhassan Yusuf showed at AFCON that he could have a say and might break up that trio.
Upfront, Lookman and Osimhen are virtual shoo ins, leaving one spot for the duo of Moses Simon and Samuel Chukwueze to battle over.
That looks straightforward enough, but could Chelle surprise us?