Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has identified Nigeria’s 1-1 home draw against Zimbabwe in Uyo and the 1-1 away draw against South Africa in Bloemfontein as the decisive results that derailed the team’s qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Speaking in an interview with Riadh Belaïche, Chelle said the dropped points proved costly as Nigeria finished second behind South Africa in Group C, missing out on the automatic qualification ticket.
Although the Super Eagles advanced to the African play-offs, they were eliminated after losing a penalty shootout to the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Chelle noted that he inherited a difficult situation after taking charge in January with Nigeria having just three points from 12 available.
He said the team fought hard to reach the play-offs but admitted that surrendering points against Zimbabwe and South Africa ultimately denied the three-time African champions a place at the tournament.