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BOU
AFCON 2025
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Former Super Falcons star Mercy Akide has attributed the Super Eagles' failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup to instability caused by frequent coaching changes.
Nigeria's hopes of reaching the tournament were dashed after a playoff loss to DR Congo, marking the second consecutive World Cup the team will miss.
The campaign was turbulent from the start, with the three-time African champions failing to win any of their first four qualifying matches under a succession of different managers.
Eric Chelle was appointed head coach in January 2025 and managed to guide the team to the playoffs with a 4-1 semi-final victory over Gabon. However, the subsequent defeat to DR Congo ended their World Cup dream.
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15:04 - 26.01.2026
Eric Chelle set for Super Eagles contract extension as NSC backs coach
Nigeria’s National Sports Commission confirmed talks to extend Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle’s contract after AFCON success
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13:02 - 28.01.2026
‘They shouldn’t send the coach away’ - Ex-Golden Eaglets coach urges NFF to retain Chelle
Former Nigeria international Nduka Ugbade has voiced his strong support for Eric Chelle, urging the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to retain the Malian coach.
Akide speaks on Super Eagles World Cup
Akide, the inaugural CAF Women's Player of the Year in 2001 and a three-time WAFCON winner, shared her perspective on the men's team's struggles during an appearance on the ATHLST podcast.
She used a well-known proverb to describe the situation: "When you have too many cooks in one pot, the soup tends to have too much salt or too much pepper."
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"Before Eric [Chelle] took over the team, we had four coaches who tried to qualify Nigeria for the World Cup. You don't do that to a team," Akide stated.
"There's no team chemistry; they all came with individual play," she explained. "When you call them a week or two before the tournament, it's not enough.
The boys look happy because they want to play for their country, but no one really knows what happened behind closed doors."
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Akide emphasized the negative impact of managerial turnover on the players. "Firing a coach after two games isn't healthy for the players. Some players are wired differently to excel in different tactical atmospheres, but it's not for everybody."
"Eric tried to patch the team, but it was too late," she concluded. "We needed the World Cup, but it didn't happen. Give this team another four years, and watch what will happen."
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s National Sports Commission confirmed talks to extend Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle’s contract after AFCON success