Eric Chelle's appointment as Super Eagles' head coach in January this year was generally not well-received, with some questioning his top-level experience and others expressing skepticism specifically about the ex-Mali boss' winning credentials.
And while Chelle avoided defeat in his first two games as trainer of the Super Eagles, against Rwanda and Zimbabwe in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification series, what do those results tell us about his ability to turn around the team's fortunes?
Has the gamble of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) appointing him to the position been worth it on the evidence thus far?
Super Eagles' victory in Kigali was the perfect start under Chelle
In the sense that the Super Eagles had won none of their first four World Cup qualifiers, not tasted victory in their last two international fixtures, and not prevailed against Rwanda in the team's two most recent meetings (both coming last year), the 2-0 triumph secured by Victor Osimhen's double in Kigali last Friday was rather relieving.
The result got Chelle's tenure off to an inspiring start and promised to revive Nigeria's flailing bid to reach the next year's Mundial in North America, almost instantly vindicating the NFF's decision to entrust the rescue mission to the 47-year-old, but that feeling of optimism was quickly deflated by what followed four days later.
Super Eagles' home draw with Zimbabwe rekindles old doubts
The Super Eagles in recent years, have struggled playing in front of their own, and many fans were hoping to see Chelle scale that particular hurdle on the maiden attempt.
Nigeria have won just four of their last 11 home games, drawing as many and losing three.
Their first two home matches in the ongoing World Cup qualification series, against Lesotho and South Africa, ended in stalemates, and another side from the continent's nether end, Zimbabwe, have now grabbed the same outcome as Nigeria's guests in Uyo on Tuesday.
Victor Osimhen's strike after 74 minutes — his third goal for Nigeria this international break — appeared to be carrying Nigeria to a second successive win, before Tawanda Chirewa nicked a late equaliser that ruined what had, until that point, seemed another successful outing for Chelle's Super Eagles.
Chelle's first two games result in net loss for Super Eagles
Four points from six is hardly a poor beginning for Chelle, as it has helped the Super Eagles move up from fifth in Group C to fourth.
However, the gap between them and the top of the table — where archrivals South Africa now enjoy a healthy lead — has, in fact, increased by two points.
There are still four games to go, and a lot can still happen in that time, but there is clearly more ground for Nigeria to make up now.
Chelle's ability to navigate and overcome that challenge remains to be seen, and while the feeling remains that the underwhelming start to the campaign by predecessors Jose Peseiro and Finidi George has left him with too big a deficit to claw back, there is still a lot the Malian needs to do to justify the NFF's confidence in him and win over the doubters and detractors.
