Former Nigerian international Mutiu Adepoju has issued a subtle warning to Eric Chelle ahead of the crucial FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

The Malian tactician is set to oversee his first game following his appointment by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) in January.

After picking just three points from four qualifier games, the Super Eagles cannot afford to drop any more points if they hope to keep their chances of securing a ticket to the 2026 FIFA World Cup alive.

Ahead of the must-win encounter, Adepoju has urged Eric Chelle not to completely stray from the team's traditional style of play.

The former Al-Ittihad midfielder believes it would be risky to entirely drift away from the style the team is accustomed to in such an important qualifier.

“A system like that will be a little bit strange to the players and the fans as well,” Adepoju told Afrik-Foot.

“What we are used to is playing from the wings, having the ball all the time, and having players that can take it from the wings. It might take time to understand, but it depends on the players.”

The Super Eagles will face the Amavubi at the Stade Amahoro in Kigali on Friday, March 21, before returning home to take on Zimbabwe in their next encounter on Tuesday, March 25.

WDN