Nigeria’s World Cup dream is hanging in the balance after the Super Eagles stumbled to a 1-1 draw with South Africa in Bloemfontein on Tuesday, and furious fans have turned their anger squarely on head coach Eric Chelle.
The Group C clash at the Free State Stadium started disastrously when captain William Troost-Ekong scored an own goal.
Calvin Bassey’s header before half-time offered hope, but the Eagles failed to find a winner against a disciplined Bafana Bafana side.
The result leaves South Africa six points clear with just two matches left in the qualifiers.
For many supporters, patience has run out. Social media exploded with calls for Chelle’s immediate dismissal, accusing him of poor tactics, baffling selections, and late substitutions.
“Kindly sack this coach and disband this Super Eagles,” one fan raged on X. Another added: “Chelle is clueless complaining about the pitch, then starting Dessers instead of Tolu. Nonsense.”
Others questioned his credentials altogether. “Our coach was Mali’s coach, and Mali has never won AFCON. Why hire him?” wrote one supporter. On Facebook, another declared, “He has used Nigeria to boost his CV. Sack letter should be ready by now.” Na Ekong K!ll Mohbad, The News Chronicle, gathered.
Chelle’s use of star players also came under fire. Critics slammed his refusal to play Ademola Lookman in his natural left-wing role, the benching of creative midfielder Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, and his persistence with aging defenders.
“A nation of 200+ million football-mad people should be leading Africa, not scraping for qualification,” one furious post read. “The Super Eagles have fallen.”
With only slim hope left, Nigeria must win its final two fixtures and pray for rivals to slip, to stand any chance of booking a ticket to the 2026 World Cup. For Chelle, the clock is ticking.
