Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, has defended his decision to leave out captain William Troost-Ekong from the starting XI in Nigeria’s 1-0 victory over Rwanda on Saturday.
With the win, the Super Eagles now sit on 10 points from six games, having played one less match than South Africa on 16 points and Benin on 11, intensifying the chase in a tightly contested Group C. Rwanda, meanwhile, drop to eight points.
Nigeria, with two games left to play and a match in hand on South Africa and Benin, remain strongly positioned, this vital win setting up a decisive showdown for both the automatic qualification spot and runners-up place in the final international window.
The experienced defender, who is often the team’s leader on the pitch, was benched for the crucial 2026 World Cup qualifier in Uyo, with 20-year-old Benjamin Fredrick handed a starting role alongside Calvin Bassey in central defence.
In Troost-Ekong’s absence, midfielder Wilfred Ndidi wore the captain’s armband and led the three-time African champions onto the pitch.
The Udinese defender was only introduced late in the second half as Nigeria sealed a narrow win against the Amavubi.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Chelle insisted his call was purely professional, “I don’t want to explain myself. This is my choice as a coach, and I respect and believe in all my players. This is my job. If we win, everybody will be happy. If we don’t, they will complain. But the decision is mine to make.”
