Former Super Eagles’ utility player, Garba ‘Chindo’ Lawal has labelled the Nigerian senior national team’s upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers versus Rwanda and Zimbabwe as ‘very vital and very important matches.’
Lawal based his verdict on the fact that, heading into the restart of hostilities in the World Cup qualifiers next weekend, Nigeria lie second to last in their group, but the ex-international battler noted that victory over Rwanda on Friday, March 21st in Kigali would put them just one point behind the group leaders.
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Sports247 further reports that the Eagles will tackle Zimbabwe four days later at home, inside The Nest of Champions, Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, where another victory could take them to the top of the log and put their qualification aspirations back on track.
However, while casting a look at the Eagles’ prospects of winning both matches, Lawal stressed that only total support for the players and their new coach, Eric Sekou Chelle, would give Nigeria the required maximum points and a resurgent aura in the next Mundial’s qualification race.
The member of Nigeria’s gold medal winning under-23 squad to Atlanta ’96 Olympic Games argued, “We will wait for them to deliver on the D-Day. We expect the matchday squad to show what they can do. That’s the most important thing. It’s not about anybody’s opinion … it’s about Nigeria.
We have to support the players, and we have to support the coach. That’s the only thing we can do right now, whether we like it or not. It’s not about Chelle. It’s about our country, it’s about our players …. and we hope they will deliver.”
Lawal, who recalled the exposure and honour he gained in featuring twice at the World Cup – France ’98 and South Africa 2010 – further expressed optimism that Nigeria’s players who are doing well with their clubs would be able to bring into the national team the same level of commitment and thrills they have been exhibiting in the European leagues.
He enthused, “Many of them are in good form at their clubs. So, I hope for them to bring that same drive here. If they bring the right drive and play with commitment, then they can conquer.
These are the World Cup qualifiers. Each and every player wants to be at the world championship stage. I believe I’m lucky to be one of those players who have played in the World Cup twice. It’s not an easy thing anyway.
So, we hope to see two good matches. We hope to see our players deliver. One victory we get, and the table will change. But, the most important thing at this juncture is that we must support the players and the coach.”
Lawal concluded by suing for patience with Chelle, who he pointed out is new on the job and still needs time to settle down and get to know his players adequately; which means he might need more matches for his tactics to start yielding the desired effects.
“He’s a new coach, but we need to have enough confidence in him. I believe that, with time, once we trust him, things will be alright. Nigerians are eager to see how far we can go. I can’t blame the fans. When the results are not good, no one will be happy. That’s why the results of these two games are very vital and very important,” the former Roda JC Kerkrade of Netherlands left-footed winger affirmed.
