How super are your Eagles: Super Eagles’ shambolic form leaves Nigerians without response as fellow Africans mock their one-time giant.
The situation is hysterical. And if you are not laughing, you’re definitely crying. One thing is obvious, one can not feel indifferent about the unending crisis of the one-time giant of Africa. Yes, one-time, literally in all ramifications.
At some point, you’d feel sorry for Eric Chelle. A squad with a market value of €365.10 million with players plying their trade for top clubs in elite leagues, it was a shambolic showing, and faithful Nigerians deserve much better.
From different regions across the country, fans trooped in to the Nest of Champions in Uyo to get behind the team as they continued their quest to reach the next global showpiece, incarcerating the wave of disappointment that has plagued their previous travels.
In the current state of the nation, Nigerians could really use some positives from their football team. Even to the players, they extend their utmost support when playing for their respective clubs abroad.
There was no margin for errors, because even a good run might still see them fall short in the race due to the deficit they have to overcome as a result of their poor start. Nevertheless, on paper, they are considered the favourite against any of their Group C opponents.
Yet, three home games in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, against Lesotho, South Africa and Zimbabwe, two draws and one defeat have been the outcome against these nations that place well below the three-time African champions in the FIFA rankings.
Reactions to Super Eagles’s stalemate with Zimbabwe
Hours after the revelation of the Teboho Mokoena’s ineligible fielding, South Africans believed it was Nigeria who took note of the error, and had their chance to make a mockery of the West African after the match against Zimbabwe, in which themselves had just beaten Benin Republic 2-0.
Fans in Nigeria also took to social media to express their disappointment in the performance and the outcome of the game.
How Super Are Your Eagles, Nigeria?
How super are your Eagles, Nigeria? This is the question fans from other African countries are asking of Nigerians. There was so much pride in the team, so much that anyone would be proud to behold such a collection.
In Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman are previous and the current CAF Player of the year winners. Alex Iwobi is up there as the best African player in the Premier League this season – only Mohamed Salah has been better, bar Omar Marmoush, who just sealed a move to Manchester City.
Ola Aina, Calvin Bassey and Wilfred Ndidi are all thriving for their respective clubs and in Ligue 1, Moses Simon is one of the best wingers.
Even though he doesn’t get much minutes, Samuel Chukwueze is still one of the clutch players for AC Milan. Tolu Arokodare, Victor Boniface and others have also been top at their respective clubs. Nevertheless, they don’t just seem to click when they assemble for Nigeria.
Every game is difficult to win. Last time the Super Eagles won a game convincingly was far back in September 2023, a 6-0 thrashing of Sao Tome and Principe, a nation that ranks almost 200 on FIFA.
On the brink of another FIFA World Cup exit from the qualifiers they are, having already missed out on the previous edition. In the previous century, after their first appearance in 1994, the worry was never about securing the ticket, but doing well in the finals.
Notwithstanding, they didn’t beat Morocco to achieving the feat as the first African nation to reach the semi-finals, but they did make the round of 16 on three occasions, 1994, 1998 and in 2014 – only a few African nation has achieved round of 16 finish in back-to-back editions.
The Super Eagles of then, played with passion, character and the willingness to beat the flag on the country. Even though the current set wouldn’t claim the exact opposite, they don’t just do it like they mean it.
The hopes was already dashed before the appointment of Eric Chelle. Yet, if you intend to point fingers, more than a couple of names will find your finger pointing in their direction, and the former Valenciennes defender will not be exempted.
Looking away from the administrators, first in the list would be Jose Peseiro. Although the Portuguese will be fondly remembered for leading the team to the 2023 AFCON final, it was he who kickstart a horrendous FIFA World Cup qualifier, picking up consecutive draws in the opening rounds against Zimbabwe and Lesotho.
The ship sailed following his departure in March 2024, and Finidi George proved no hero as the team completely fell apart under his watch, losing to Benin on neutral ground in round four after a laboured home draw with South Africa in the previous round.
Three points from four games left them fifth, and Eric Chelle’s win in Kigali only postponed the inevitable, albeit it was a great view to see the team finally pick up their first win away to Rwanda after three failed attempts.
Ahead of the disappointing draw with Zimbabwe in Uyo, South Africa’s discrepancy for fielding Teboho Mokoena, who was ineligible after two bookings in the qualifiers, against Lesotho left them with a sense of hope pending a potential verdict.
Subsequently, they only made themself a laughing stock for their Group C counterpart, after their failure to win at home to Zimbabwe, leaving themselves six points off first place.
South Africa, who won 2-0 against Benin will yet retain top status in the group, even if a three-point deduction is the final verdict by CAF.
Could Eric Chelle Had Done Better?
It would be unfair to hold the Franco-Malian responsible for the mishap. It was always coming. He fielded the best the country has got, but it was the players that let him and the country down.
No decent chance was created for Victor Osimhen, who was always fighting to get on the end of scraps. He had to risk it all to get on the end of Ola Aina’s cross to head home for their only goal of the game.
Don’t blame the defenders much, because how can you burden them with defending a goal in the dying minute when you had all game to kill it off. Don’t blame the strikers because they were starved of services – but if you want to blame the midfielder, there’s only Wilfred Ndidi in there.
There is where you might question the decision of Chelle to leave Frank Onyeka, unarguably the country’s best central midfielder this season, out of the latest squad.
Nigeria has always had that shortcoming in midfield, and Onyeka, following his loan move to Augsburg in the Bundesliga at the start of the season has reached new heights in his career. It came as a shock that he didn’t make Chelle’s squad.
The in-game management was poor. Taking a 1-0 lead into the final minutes of a game is always risky. Yet, the 47-year-old did not help himself with the substitutions made.
Eric Chelle wasn’t responsible for our situation, but anyone leading Nigeria should be beating the likes of Zimbabwe, who ranks almost 80 places below them on FIFA rankings.
The players failed him yesterday, but he failed himself with his in-game management. You have a one-goal advantage to preserve with less than 10 minutes to go, you take off Osimhen due of injury but brought on Boniface, another striker, one who has never scored for the team.
You defenders are stretched but you just let them play on, leaving two strikers who offer nothing defensively. That is schoolboy error, on he may have gotten away with. Unfortunately, not yesterday.
Nevertheless, it was a very cheap goal to concede as well. Bright Osayi-Samuel and William Troost-Ekong were all over the place, contemplating about making a challenge and allowing Tawanda Chirewa go all the way.
Looking back, the players would be hurt, but they put themselves in such position. It is normal to concede goals, what isn’t normal is that a team of Super Eagles’ caliber leaving things to chance against a team they should have finished off in time. Surely, they are no longer super.
Super Eagles: Shattering a Legacy Built on Greatness
Missing out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup will mean an absence in consecutive edition for the first time since their first appearance in the tournament on 1994.
Even with two CAF Player of the year winners in the current squad, they are no better than any Super Eagles team ever assembled. Even at their lowest post 2013 AFCON success, they did make the subsequent FIFA World Cup tournament.
The Eagles are definitely no longer super, and no team in the world will be put off by their history, because of the lack of character in the current set up.
It isn’t all about the game, but the Super Eagles in the long run. Almost a decade in this crisis, one manager after another, and the team is left in the same predicament.
With a FIFA World Cup qualification hopes hanging on a vulnerable thread, it is healthy for Nigerians to quit the belief that they will reach the tournament because it is almost impossible at this stage. Preparing yourself for further disappointment so it doesn’t hurt bad when it eventually comes.
With this team, disappointment is always more probable. It is only fair taking the crown of any significance off them, because this isn’t the Super Eagles that won hearts, and all they now do is worn hearts.
Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi
