Akide Blames Coaching Instability for Super Eagles’ World Cup Miss

Former Super Falcons star Mercy Akide has reacted to the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Nigeria struggled early in the qualifiers, failing to win any of their first four matches before Eric Chelle was appointed head coach in January 2025.

Chelle guided the team into the play-offs, including a 4-1 semi-final win over Gabon, but defeat to DR Congo ended Nigeria’s campaign and confirmed a second straight World Cup absence.

Speaking on the ATHLST podcast, Akide blamed instability in the coaching setup. “When you have too many cooks in one pot, the soup tends to have too much salt…” she said.

She added, “Firing a coach after two games isn't healthy…” and concluded, “Give this team another four years, and watch what will happen.”