Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle said his side can still earn a berth at the 2026 FIFA World Cup despite their position on the Group C table.
Nigeria sit in third position in Group C with 11 points from eight games.
South Africa top the standings with 17 points, while Benin Republic are on 14 points.
Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Bafana Bafana of South Africa put a dent on Nigeria’s ambition of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup finals.
Head coach Eric Chelle, however, refused to criticise his players, praising their effort in a difficult away tie also promising that the Super Eagles won’t give up on their quest to play at the global soccer fiesta.
“We tried, [the players] gave everything to try to win and, like I said, it’s difficult to come here and hope for a win because this team is very good, their wingers are very fast, and the striker keeps the ball well,” said Chelle.
“During this game, for just 10 seconds, we were not in a good position and they killed us, so after that we came back in the game because we were ready for that, and the state of mind of the players was to come back and try to score a goal, but South Africa is a good team.”
Chelle also admitted the draw leaves Nigeria’s qualification hopes in a precarious position, with Lesotho and Benin still to come and their fate dependent on Bafana slipping up against Zimbabwe or Rwanda
“My players are professionals and I know they will still want to win the remaining two games,” the Malian said after the game.
“A lot can happen over the next one month. But before that, we will have to analyse our performance tonight, which will not be easy.”
