Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong has expressed his confidence in new boss Eric Chelle ahead of their crunch 2026 World Cup qualifying fixture against Rwanda, Afrosport reports.
Chelle was appointed Super Eagles head coach in January, and Troost-Ekong, who arrived at the Super Eagles base in Kigali on Tuesday, is backing the Malian’s tactics to lead them past the Amavubi.
“We have new ideas, and whenever you have a new manager, it’s always a situation where players want to prove themselves to the coach—they want to give their best,” the 31-year-old said at Thursday’s pre-match conference.
“So, there is a new level of focus. All the players respect the coach very much. We’ve seen what he achieved with his previous team, and, like I said, we are trying to understand as quickly as we can in three training sessions what he expects from us.”
Coming Up: WCQ vs Rwanda at the Amahoro Stadium #SoarSuperEagles pic.twitter.com/ZTqyoOtNvG
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Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) March 20, 2025
The Super Eagles are yet to record a win in the qualifiers, having played out three draws and lost once, leaving them fifth in Group C.
Troost-Ekong, who will lead the three-time African champions under Chelle for the first time, remains adamant the players are ready for the uphill task ahead.
“It’s a work in progress, and hopefully, it will be a continuous growth. This first game will be a test straight away, even this early in our time working together,” he added.
“Like I said, I have full confidence in the team, the team has confidence in the coach, and it’s left for us to execute and do the job. I know Rwanda will be in a similar situation—they will be motivated to impress their new coach.”
The Super Eagles will be gunning for their first win against Rwanda in Kigali when both sides face off at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali at 5 p.m. West African Time on Friday.
