Former NFF president Amaju Pinnick has emphasized the importance of Nigeria qualifying for the next edition of the FIFA World Cup following the official unveiling of Eric Chelle as head coach of the Super Eagles.

The Malian tactician was officially unveiled on Monday, January 13, at the Media and Conference Room of the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja.

The 47-year-old has been tasked with the primary responsibility of rescuing Nigeria's sinking ship in the World Cup qualifying campaign.

The three-time African champions are yet to record a win after four games in the qualifiers, having recorded three draws against Lesotho, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, and a defeat to Benin Republic.

The Eagles currently sit in 5th position in Group C with just three points and are behind Rwanda, Benin Republic, Lesotho, and South Africa.

Speaking after Eric Chelle's unveiling, Pinnick reiterated the significance of the Super Eagles qualifying for the global showpiece.

“It’ll be an aberration for Nigeria not to be in the US. You can imagine, the highest number of educated immigrants in the US are Nigerians,” he told Arise News after Chelle's unveiling.

“It’s something I personally cannot think about. One of my lowest moments in life was when Nigeria did not qualify for the last World Cup.”

The World Cup qualifying campaign will resume in March as the Super Eagles will face Rwanda and Zimbabwe.