Former Nigeria international Ifeanyi Udeze has come out in defence of Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle, insisting the Franco-Malian tactician should not be held responsible for Nigeria's failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Nigeria's path to the tournament was rocky from the start. The Super Eagles stumbled in the early qualifying rounds before recovering enough to reach the playoffs, where they were ultimately eliminated by DR Congo on penalties after a 1–1 draw following extra time in Morocco. It is the second successive World Cup Nigeria have missed.

Chelle walked into a crisis

Speaking to Brila FM, Udeze responded to reports that Chelle had issued an apology over the team's absence from the global tournament. The former defender was emphatic that the blame does not lie with the current head coach.