Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Ibrahim Gusau has voiced optimism about the Super Eagles’ chances of qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

His comments come amidst growing concern that Nigeria may miss out on a second consecutive World Cup following a disappointing start to their qualification campaign.

The three-time African champions have recorded just one win in six matches and currently sit fourth in Group C—six points behind leaders South Africa.

“All I know is that we are doing our best to prepare the team,” Gusau said.

“Even though we haven’t won a match at home, we also haven’t lost one. We still have matches to play at home. I still believe we’ll be in the USA, Mexico and Canada.”

Gusau also spoke on the future of head coach Eric Chelle, urging fans to be patient with the Malian tactician, who took charge of the Super Eagles during a challenging period.

“We cannot assess him based on just one issue,” Gusau stated.

“He met the team in a difficult situation. But if he continues the way he’s going and gets the results he’s expected to, we’ll evaluate what he has brought to the team. If there’s hope for the future, we’ll take it from there.”

WDN