Nigeria’s head coach, Eric Chelle, has urged his Super Eagles to remain focused and calm ahead of their must-win clash against South Africa in Tuesday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier at the Free State Stadium.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference on Monday evening, Chelle avoided getting drawn into the ongoing Teboho Mokoena eligibility controversy and instead stressed that his priority is preparing his players to deliver a “great game” against Hugo Broos’ side.
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“We are focused on our game plan. I’m focused about my player and I know something, the team of South Africa is a very good team. You have a lot of good players. I like your coach. He’s a very good coach and his technical staff. So like I said earlier, we know that this is a big game. So I’m really happy to play this game,” Chelle said.
The former Mali international also revealed that his squad is highly motivated and ready for the challenge despite facing the table-topping Bafana Bafana in front of their home fans.
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“Like my players, we are happy and this is the moment to do a great game. I’m just a coach, you know, I lead my team. What happens around my team and around this game, about it? You talk about the yellow card. There is an organisation, this organisation, whose name is FIFA. So FIFA needs to manage it now. This is not my problem now. My problem is my players. First, because they are focused. They want to make once again a great game here. And after that, just think about our game and not what happened around the game and around the story,” he added.
Flying without Osimhen
Chelle also acknowledged the absence of Victor Osimhen, Nigeria’s talismanic striker, who was ruled out after suffering an injury in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Rwanda.
However, the Super Eagles boss expressed confidence in the strength and depth of his squad.
“Osimhen is a big star. He’s a very good player. Like I said, I have a big group too. I have some big players with me, in my side. They are more than players for me. And for sure, I can tell you something, they want to play a great game here,” Chelle said.
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The Super Eagles, currently third in Group C with 10 points, face a South African team leading the standings on 16 points. A win for Nigeria would keep their hopes of automatic qualification alive with two matches left to play in October.
Meanwhile, tension remains high following FIFA’s ongoing review of South Africa’s possible breach of regulations in their 2-0 win over Lesotho earlier this year, where Teboho Mokoena allegedly played despite suspension. But Chelle made it clear that Nigeria’s focus must remain on the pitch, not the politics.
Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. Nigerian time at the Free State Stadium, with a capacity crowd expected in Bloemfontein for what could be a defining night in Group C.
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