Dikko sets 2030 W’Cup target after Chelle renewal
File: NSC chair, Shehu Dikko
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Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, has charged the Nigeria Football Federation to intensify its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 FIFA World Cup after confirming that Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle will remain in charge of the national team, The PUNCH reports.
Dikko said this during a meeting between officials of the NSC and the NFF in Abuja, where discussions centred on the future of the national teams following Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Super Eagles are not part of the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico after suffering a penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo in the final round of the African play-offs, marking the second consecutive World Cup the country has failed to reach.
Although Chelle was appointed during the qualification campaign in March 2025, the Franco-Malian coach revitalised the team, recording four wins and two draws to guide Nigeria into the play-offs before their qualification hopes were eventually dashed.
Despite the disappointment, Dikko revealed that the NFF had successfully concluded talks with the coach over improved contract terms and fresh performance targets.
“We have reached new terms with the coach about his new remuneration. We are also going to take care of his assistants and there are other benchmarks that we have put on the table and I’m sure the coach will be very excited about it,” Dikko said.
The NSC chairman stressed that attention must now shift to long-term planning, with Nigeria targeting success at the next AFCON and a return to the World Cup in 2030.
“We have also discussed how we can build for the future. We have the next AFCON and the World Cup so we must start preparing now by putting our house in order to make sure all the mistakes that we have suffered will not happen again,” he added.
The Super Eagles finished third at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, a result that provided some encouragement despite the World Cup disappointment.
Chelle has also been appointed as the handler of the U-23 team ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics qualifiers.
Like the Super Eagles, the Atlanta 1996 men’s football event winners have not qualified for the event in the last two editions in Tokyo and Paris.
Nigeria remains one of Africa’s most successful football nations, having won the AFCON title three times in 1980, 1994 and 2013.
At the World Cup, the Super Eagles have featured in six editions — 1994, 1998, 2002, 2010, 2014 and 2018 — reaching the Round of 16 in 1994, 1998 and 2014.
Abiodun, who reports Sports for PUNCH, covers different tiers of the Nigerian football league, the national teams, as well as cricket, in the last six years
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