Chelle visits Iwobi, Ndidi, Simon ahead W’Cup qualifiers
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle and his first assistant Hedi Taboubi have commenced visits to key Nigerian players in Europe ahead of next month’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, NewsNGR Sports Extra reports.
The Franco-Malian tactician, who was appointed January 7, began his European tour in England, where he met with Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi and Leicester City’s Wilfred Ndidi.
During his visit, Chelle offered words of encouragement to Ndidi, who recently made an injury comeback.
The coach then travelled to France, where he watched Moses Simon in action during Nantes’ 2-0 home defeat, demonstrating his commitment to understanding his players’ current form and club performances.
The visits come at a critical time for the Super Eagles, who currently sit fifth in their World Cup qualifying group with just three points from four matches, four points behind leaders Rwanda with six games remaining.
In a post shared on the Super Eagles’ official X account on Saturday, photos of the visits were accompanied by the caption; “Head coach Eric Chelle and first assistant Hedi Taboubi visited some Super Eagles players ahead of the crucial FIFA World Cup qualifiers. #RoadToWorldCup2026 #SoarSuperEagles”
Chelle, who is expected to arrive in Nigeria next week to further integrate himself into the national team setup, had previously emphasised that qualifying for the World Cup remains his immediate priority.
“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,” Chelle told Pooja Media recently after the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations draws.
The Super Eagles face must-win fixtures against Rwanda and Zimbabwe in March as they bid to secure the group’s solitary ticket to the global showpiece, set to be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
National Sports Commission chairman Shehu Dikko recently charged the Nigeria Football Federation to ensure the Eagles’ qualification during NFF president Ibrahim Gusau’s visit to the NSC Secretariat.
The team will regroup in September and October for their final four games in the series as they aim to reignite their qualification hopes under their new coach.
