Rwanda Baptism for Chelle as Super Eagles Gun for First Win Today

Duro Ikhazuagbe 

New Super Eagles Head Coach, Eric Sekou Chelle, will get baptised on the job today in Kigali when he leads out the senior Nigerian squad from the dugout of the Amahoro Stadium against hosts Rwanda.

Already, the Mali national who was contracted in January, has had three training sessions with the three-time African champions in Kigali ahead of this crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying game. 

Chelle must have plotted the game-plan that he believes, will give him a flying start in this his new job. 

Of course, a coach that is starting with a team that is on three points from four matches and fifth in a six-team group, is not one to envy. Chelle has so much on his plate today. And only a decent result from Kigali this evening will truly tell if the chiefs of Nigerian football, in Abuja, made a wise decision in selecting him to lead the Super Eagles.

The gaffer is well aware that football is more than ordinary sport to Nigerians. It is the soul that binds compatriots in unity. 

And this is why Chelle, a former RC Lens defender, with vast knowledge of African football, will be gunning for victory against hosts Rwanda, because the whole of Nigeria expect this to happen.

 “I just want to win this game because the country awaits a victory,” the coach told the pre-match conference in Kigali yesterday. 

 “The players have trained hard, they want to make Nigeria proud. Our focus is only on this game. After this, we begin to think of the Zimbabwe game in Uyo.”

Interestingly, Chelle has received a vote of confidence from his wards. Having seen how he commanded the squad in the training sessions, Captain of the Super Eagles, William Troost-Ekong, insisted yesterday that the team will settle for nothing or than the three points at stake to make up for their previous disappointing results in the World Cup qualifiers.

“We can’t change the past, but we have a chance to do better on Friday (today),” stressed the Al Kholood central defender in the Saudi Arabia’s Pro League.

With a crop of players like Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Samuel Chukwueze, Victor Boniface, Raphael Onyedika, Bright Osayi-Samuel and a hosts of others who have never been to the World Cup all yearning to play at the summit of the game, Chelle will certainly be on the road to recovering what Super Eagles have lost in the early stage of the tournament, if they secure victory in Kigali.

Benin who were held 2-2 by Zimbabwe yesterday now top Group C with eight points from five matches, while Rwanda are second on seven points from four matches. South Africa are third on seven points, Lesotho are fourth with five points, while Nigeria are second from bottom with three points. Zimbabwe are on same three points as the Super Eagles.

GROUP C

Teams.                P. W. D. L. GF. GA. GD Pts 

Benin.                    5.   2.  2  1.  6.   5.    +1.    8

Rwanda.               4.    2.  1.  1.  3.  1.      +2.   7

S’Africa.                4.   2.   1.  1.  6.  5.     +1.     7

Lesotho.               4.    1.   2.   1.  3.  2.     +1.   5

Nigeria.                4.     0.   3.  1.   4.  5.     -1.   3

Zimbabwe.          5.     0.    3.   2.  4.   8.   -4.   3

RESULTS 

Mo’bique 3-1  Uganda

Cape Verde 1-0 Mauritius

Malawi 0-1 Namibia 

S’Leone 3-1 G’Bissau

Zimbabwe 2-2 Benin Rep

Gabon 3-0 Seychelles 

Gambia 3-3 Kenya

Libya 1-1 Angola

Comoros 0-3 Mali

TODAY

Botswana v Algeria 

E’Guinea v São Tomé 

B’Faso v Djibouti 

DR Congo v S’Sudan 

Rwanda v Nigeria

S’Africa v Lesotho 

Burundi v Ivory Coast 

Ghana v Chad

Ethiopia v Egypt 

Guinea v Somalia

Niger v Morocco