Super Eagles defender Bruno Onyemaechi affirmed support for head coach Eric Chelle despite criticism from former National team coach Sunday Oliseh.
Chelle was appointed by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) in January as a replacement for Finidi George and the 47-year old has faced recent backlash after a rocky start to his tenure.
What Oliseh said
The 50-year old who was head coach of the Super Eagles between 2015-2016, lashed out at the appointment of Chelle in a recent interview.
Oliseh said; I am not a big fan of him [Eric Chelle]. I feel it is a sign of disrespect to the coaches and people of Nigeria. I am not going to comment on how good he is, but he looks like a nice guy.
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Africans are not allowed to coach abroad, and Nigerians are not allowed to coach outside their shores. The only job that is the most prized one, leave it for the people to handle; that’s my opinion.
I feel my country has suffered enough; the coaches, players, and ex-players have suffered enough, and they have paid the price, so let them do their job”, he continued.
What Onyemaechi said
“In the few months I’ve worked with him, I can say he’s the right guy for the job,” Onyemaechi told TVC News Nigeria.
“There’s noise outside saying he doesn’t know what he’s doing, but if you come closer, you’ll know he’s the right guy for the job.”
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What next for the Super Eagles?
Nigeria must win both of their matches in September, as they look to close the gap on group leaders South Africa in a bid to secure qualification for the 2026 World Cup.
The Super Eagles have started their campaign poorly, currently fourth in Group C, six points behind Bafana Bafana in first place.
They face a doubleheader against Rwanda and South Africa in September before facing Lesotho and Benin Republic in October.
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