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Eric Chelle has received backing and advice from one of the country’s biggest stars of the last decade

Veteran Super Eagles defender Leon Balogun has offered advice to Eric Chelle’s Nigeria squad as they look to revive their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.

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The 36-year-old, who last played for the national team in June 2022, believes the Super Eagles must regain their confidence and take full advantage of their remaining fixtures to secure a place at the global tournament.

Balogun calls for confidence and unity

Nigeria’s qualification hopes have suffered an early blow, with the team sitting fifth in their group, four points behind leaders Rwanda and South Africa.

However, Balogun insists that all hope is not lost, telling reporters, “Everybody knows it’s a very difficult situation. I think a lot of people think it’s impossible, but you need to have some form of confidence if you are playing for the Nigerian Super Eagles.”

The Rangers centre-back urged the players to embrace their reputation as one of Africa’s football powerhouses and back it up with strong performances, saying, “We’re top of Africa, we need to get back to the top.

“We need to earn it again. We still have six games left, that’s six chances to get it right. So why not go in there with supreme confidence?”

Balogun backs Chelle to succeed

Despite Nigeria’s struggles, Balogun believes the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) made the right decision by appointing a new head coach Eric Chelle before the crucial upcoming matches.

“I think the NFF have done a good job in getting a new manager just in time so he can go and assess players, scout, and then get enough time to prepare,” he stated.

The veteran defender also stressed that the transition under Chelle will take time but urged patience saying, “This will be a process. The team has to support him so they can make progress. It won’t always be smooth.”

As Nigeria prepares to face Rwanda on March 19 before hosting Zimbabwe on March 22 in Uyo, Balogun remains optimistic that the Super Eagles can turn things around and book their ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.