Following Nigeria’s 2-0 away victory over Rwanda in the 2026 FIFA World Cup African qualifiers, a poll conducted by Complete Sports on X (formerly Twitter) has revealed that Super Eagles fans overwhelmingly believe the team’s midfield needs the most improvement.
The poll asked: “After watching Nigeria vs Rwanda, what position should the Super Eagles improve on?” The results as of the time of this report were as follows:
Midfield – 81%
Defence – 14%
Attack – 5%
Goalkeeping – 0%
Read Also:2026 WCQ: Osimhen brace helps Super Eagles beat Rwanda, Get Qualifying Campaign Back On Track
The outcome sends a clear message to Super Eagles head coach Eric Sekou Chelle that the midfield requires urgent attention ahead of the team’s subsequent qualifiers.
Despite securing their first win of the campaign with a brace from Victor Osimhen, Nigeria’s midfield struggled to dictate play consistently, with Rwanda creating dangerous moments, particularly in the second half.
Osimhen’s double in Kigali ensured Nigeria moved up to fourth place in Group C with six points, trailing leaders South Africa by four points. With Benin Republic and Rwanda sitting in second and third place, respectively, Chelle’s men will need to build momentum as they prepare to face Zimbabwe in Uyo on Tuesday, March 25.
While the Super Eagles’ attack was clinical and the defence relatively solid, the overwhelming vote for midfield improvement suggests that fans are concerned about ball control, creativity, and transitions between defence and attack. Chelle will now have a crucial decision to make in strengthening the midfield to boost Nigeria’s qualification hopes.
12 Comments
If it’s a sane football country, ndidi who”s club is battling relegation wouldn’t have been called up..even chukwueze a bench warmer with ac milan was called up.. joke of the century…
And everybody is celebrating now because of the rwanda victory which came cheaply.. weak teams like that cannot allow us to see the jokes in our call ups
it will only take a good african side(team) to expose all that I have been saying…
But congrats still se…
Zimbabwe next.. good luck…
Under Finidi, the Super Eagles came alive and delivered the goods with 2 great goals and 1 fabulous assist
Under Eguavoen, I felt the midfield also held firm
Apart from Osihmen and Lookman, the biggest stars for the Super Eagles in recent times have arguably been Dele-Bashiru, Onyedika and Onyeka – all midfielders. So I am lost as to why a body of Super Eagles fans will posit that our midfield is hemorrhaging.
I think the Super Eagles midfield is in good-nick based on the calibre and class of resources at our disposal – some like Tom Dele-Bashiru, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Frank Onyeka who were not invited for these assignments.
It is still early days for Coach Chelle but yesterday, his methods were non-descript.
It was hard to single out the focal point of the team, making it a slippery endeavour to try and appraise performance by department.
Let’s take the midfield for instance, Coach Chelle willingly interweaved, merged, and blurred roles, responsibilities and movements to keep the opposition guessing and inject a sense of unpredictability.
Lookman will play as a centre attacking midfielder, pushing Iwobi to the left and leaving Moses Simon of all people as the support striker.
Just when you think Ndidi is the lone defensive midfielder, Chukwueze will appear from nowhere to lend a helping hand to defensive and counterattacking duties from whence he (Chukwueze) bagged himself a valuable assist.
The best chance that was created for Moses Simon to cut inside and forced the goalkeeper to parry a bullet shot started deep in centre midfield from a pass by, em, Victor Osihmen.
How strange!
In fairness, the players will often return to their natural position in spells.
Arokodare will come in and just stroll around dangerous areas will grace and effortless ease as if his father owns the stadium.
It was all just a weird experience for me, but one which I thoroughly appreciated with the discipline, drive and determination at which these seasoned, hardened professionals went about their business.
Seeing calamity Calvin Bassey and his fellow uncle-in-calamity Ekong man the central defence filled me with dread and anxiety. Yet they were as solid as Olumo rock, which renewed my faith and admiration for both of them.
The last time I remember Aina playing left fullback was 2019 Afcon. Yet he took to the role like duck to water, further subverting my expectations.
I really don’t know what Chelle Is playing out playing players in perilous positions or out-of-position. But, my Lord it worked a treat yesterday!
This guy – you say a whole lot without really saying anything! It’s like you are trying to practice blowing grammar and that is never the point of conversations/discussions – they are for painting wholesome pictures and building compelling cases – you just want to show that you have seen and heard of certain big (or not so big) words and are dying for a chance to foist them on people – please rest and stop all this none=sense, even if the average layman is impressed, trust me nobody else is, and if we call you local champion now, you’ll be vexing. Please respect yourself and be honest with what you are doing – if your aim is just to collect “clout” because of your long and big words then know that it is very telling that you feel the need to be doing that still!
You will say one thing one way and then say the next another way – who are you trying to please?? You cannot please all the people all the time – choose a side and stick to it!
Everybody knows that Finidi failed woefully yet you will come here and start talking rubbish. You are making yourself look very stupid with all this nonsense that you spew.
What really is your problem self??
Mr Seafeatcher,
Thanks for your feedback. Since the manner of my write up annoys you so much, can I suggest you simply ignore anything that has to do with me.
I have seen your contributions on this platform and, from the very first one I read (which made no sense to me) I knew you and I would never get along. So I chose not to reply to any of your submissions.
Again, I ask you politely, like a gentleman: when next you see any of my write ups, don’t bother reading it. Just ignore it and move to the next one . That way you and I can avoid an unpleasant situation where other contractors here will feel offended.
You have been warned. A word they say is enough for the wise.
Thank you very much in anticipation of your cooperation.
Kind regards
@deo
Don’t mind the them abeg
I love your write ups
I d even come here just to read your analysis
Correction:
Under Finidi, the Super Eagles’ midfield came alive and delivered the goods with 2 great goals and 1 fabulous assist despite poor overall results.
Under Eguavoen, I felt the midfield also held firm with Dele-Bashiru shining.
@Deo’s analysis is top-tier, no doubt—tactically rich, layered with intrigue, and full of questions that make you rethink everything you thought you saw. But here’s the thing: Eric Chelle is still in the early days of installing his system, and what we’re witnessing is a team learning to walk before they can run. This is a coach pushing for a possession-based game, one where players impose themselves, press high, and force turnovers in the opponent’s half—eerily similar to what Liverpool thrived on under their former boss. It’s not plug-and-play football; it’s a system that demands repetition, instinctive movement, and trust in one another. And with just two full training sessions under their belt, it’s no surprise that things aren’t clicking seamlessly yet.
One of the most intriguing talking points is Iwobi’s role. The man has been doing his thing as a winger at Fulham, yet here he was, operating as part of a double pivot. Now, Chelle clearly sees Iwobi as someone who can help control possession, but let’s be real—this isn’t his current territory. His Fulham’s instincts pull him wide, and at times, it showed. There were moments where you could almost feel him itching to drift to the right and stretch the play. A tactical tweak could have been to push Iwobi forward to replace Chukwueze, who had a night to forget, and bring in someone like Onyeka or Papa Daniel to keep the midfield structure intact. That might have given the Super Eagles more balance and fluidity.
And speaking of Lookman and Moses; they looked off, kinda, going by what we know of them. These are players built to roast fullbacks, drive to the byline, and whip in crosses. Yet, here they were, hesitant, second-guessing themselves. But maybe—just maybe—that’s because their roles are evolving. Chelle’s system demands more tactical discipline, more tracking back, and a different kind of movement. That said, there’s a time when you cut your losses, and Chukwueze probably should have been taken off earlier. A shift that would have seen Iwobi move to the flank to inject some urgency into the attack while keeping the midfield solid.
Now, let’s talk about what the Eagles got absolutely right: defensive control. Rwanda, despite having some good spell in the game, never got into any real rhythm, and that was no accident. This was a masterclass in disrupting play, breaking momentum, and keeping the opposition second-guessing their every move. The press was suffocating, the structure held firm, and for all the chaos up front, at the back, there was composure. Even Ndidi, a natural defensive midfielder, more adept at marking than pressing, looked like a man in control, dictating play with a calmness that felt almost unnatural.
At the end of the day, what we saw was a team in transition. Chelle’s Super Eagles are still a work in progress, but the blueprint is visible. The team will only get better as they spend more time together, and roles will naturally refine themselves. Two full training sessions aren’t nearly enough to master such a complex style, but the signs are there-winning away from home, in Africa and in a country we’ve never beaten at home, by 2 goals, in the middle of trying a totally new system is highly commendable. The deception, the focus, the concentration—it’s all part of the bigger picture. The best of this Super Eagles side is yet to come under Eric Chelle, and when it all clicks? Oh, it’s going to be something special.
At a point in the game, I watched the second half totally dispirited and prayed the game is fast forward because all that mattered to me was the 3 points.
Aside the important win, a lot of the players were dissatisfied with the formation of the coach as they were played out of position. I struggled trying to figure out the roles of the players on the field. For a long spell, I didn’t see Chukwueze aside the assist he gave for Osimhens goal, same with Simon Moses. The coach needs to play the boys in positions where they’re most suited. Had we squared up against a more technical team,they would have exploited the lapses and the fatigued midfield.
There’s a need to bring in reinforcement in the middle, Ndidi alone cannot do the DM role, we need players like Raphael Onyedika or Onyeka with him if invited for future assignments.
The Getafe star man will be key to our midfield, he’s strong and combative with a lot attacking qualities.
The coach truly needs to review the teams recent games and tactically strengthen the team especially in the middle.
We need number in middle – men who can use the ball well, move the upfield and who’re combative. Ndidi’s experience is quite valuable but not sure he’s the legs as age has caught up with him and therefore needs younger, creative and combative players around. Getafe strong man has the versatility and the midfield qualities to help out in the midfield. He also possesses strong attacking qualities like we have seen with Getafe. Don’t know how such player eluded us. Frank Onyeka is another familiar face in the middle. Raphael Onyedika should be given more game time now after his exploits in the Uefa Championship league with FC Brugge.
Dele Bashiru Fisayo is an offensive midfield player with a lot of power play who can impose himself on the game. These are players in their prime who I believe can dimensions to the team set-up in the middle. The team’s tactical inputs will be the game changer.
deo abi wetin
THIS GUY CAN NEVER STOP TALKING RUBBISH!
TALKING FROM BOTH SIDES OF YOUR MOUTH!
EVERYBODY KNOWS FINIDI DID WOEFULLY!
YOU ARE JUST LOOKING FOR CLOUT TRYING TO BLOW BIG BIG GRAMMAR BUT END UP SAYING NOTHING!
RESPECT YOURSELF AND STOP SHAMING YOUR SELF!
EVEN IF THE AVERAGE STREET LAYMAN FALLS FOR IT, NOBODY ELSE DOES!
Mr Seafeatcher,
If I administer back to you a dose of your own medicine, people will say they are disappointed with me.
Anyhow, let me stay civil for now. The topic of this thread of discussions centres on the effectiveness of Super Eagles’ midfield.
Objectively, I thought our midfield did brilliantly well under Finidi. In fact statistics beat me out: the only 2 goals scored by his Super Eagles were by midfielders Dele-Bashiru and Onyedika with another midfielder in Iwobi providing one assist.
In international football, I think the days of midfielders like Okocha, Etim Esin and Wilson Oruma are gone. The crop of midfielders available to the Super Eagles at the moment I think can hold their own.
Deo to be fair, you must be commended for your restraint and maturity- it doesn’t change what i said before though, but credit where it’s due.
I just want to clarify that I didnt mean to post my comment more than once, its the fault of CSN that that one happens, it’s their bogus system that makes a person feel the need to repost because of the lack of an efficient human interface that dogs the bloody thing!
Its like the site was designed by alien monkeys lmao
monkeyboy
MADMAN TALKING ABOUT SANE COUNTRY!
ONLY IN NIGERIA!!
SMH