‘He’s such a great man’ – Alex Iwobi praise Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle

Nigeria midfielder Alex Iwobi has lauded Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle for his leadership and the positive impact he has had on the team’s 2026 World Cup campaign.

Appointed in January as the first non-Nigerian African to manage the Super Eagles, Chelle has remained unbeaten in six competitive matches, recording four wins and two draws.

“Our manager constantly reminds us that we’re able to push through all circumstances. He’s such a great man. We almost don’t see him as like a manager, but like a big brother. He’s created a big brotherhood. You see him on the touchline. He gets heated; he’s literally trying to fight for us. It motivates us that we want to play not just for Nigeria but for him as well,” Iwobi said.

Chelle’s influence has been instrumental in Nigeria’s resurgence, guiding the team to the African playoffs and keeping their hopes of qualifying for the expanded 48-team World Cup alive.

Iwobi also reflected on the team’s challenging start to the qualifiers and called for understanding from fans.

“It wasn’t the greatest of starts. But they [the fans] also need to understand we all have the same goal. I understand when they’re disappointed because we are very disappointed in not winning games comfortably or winning against teams that maybe we should have,” he added.

Nigeria are set to face Gabon in Thursday’s semi-final clash in Morocco.

The winner will progress to meet either Cameroon or the Democratic Republic of Congo for a place in the intercontinental qualifier scheduled for March 2026.