A former midfielder in the Super Eagles, Edema Fuludu has raised hope for a revival of Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification chances, as he believes the players can spring surprises in their upcoming games.
Sports247 reports that the Eagles are set to play Rwanda this Saturday in Uyo and then fly out to battle South Africa in Bloemfontein next week Tuesday, ahead of which Fuludu stressed that the team should not be written off.
While admitting that the task at hand is far from easy, the former midfield marshal pointed out that the group’s lone ticket to USA/Canada/Mexico 2026 can still be gained if all hands are placed on deck to steady the Eagles’ sinking ship.
He reckoned further that Eagles’ coach, Eric Sekou Chelle has a pivotal role to play in putting the qualification campaign back on track, but quickly interjected that anyone among the players should also be ready to step forward as Nigeria’s saviour when the chips come down.
The ex-international, now football administrator, stated, “We already know that it’s going to be difficult. So, anybody can take the bull by the horn, Chelle inclusive. Whatever comes out is what we’ll bear with.”
Fuludu added that, though the ticket appears to have been lost already, the players and their fans must not just throw up their hands in surrender, even as he charged officials of Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to join the search for a way out of the woods.
“We already know that we are down there, and we just need to rise. We have to rise; instead of saying ‘Que sera sera’ … whatever will be, will be.
“It’s not only about Chelle, but also about the players. They just have to come to the party in all the games and, with the kind of contributions they get from the officials, they can spring surprises for us,” Fuludu enthused.
