Former Nigeria international, Mutiu Adepoju believes Eric Chelle must improve on the team's weaknesses as he takes on the huge responsibility of managing the Super Eagles.

Adepoju gave the advice after the disappointing one-all draw against Zimbabwe on Tuesday, March 25.

He, however, expressed support for coach Eric Chelle after his second game in charge.

The Super Eagles' much-needed 2-0 victory over Rwanda in Kigali, their first win in six qualifying matches, marked a promising start to his tenure.

However, Nigeria’s optimism was quickly dashed as they failed to maintain their second-half lead against Zimbabwe, conceding a late equalizer and risking their qualification hopes.

Mutiu Adepoju maintains that Eric Chelle deserves patience despite setbacks, acknowledging that while he may have made mistakes, he shouldn't be dismissed.

According to Flashscore, he said, “At this point, it would be unfair to say Chelle is a bad coach—he is not.

“The only issue was the way the match against Zimbabwe was managed, which has put us in this situation.”

Adepoju urged Chelle to evaluate and address the team's weaknesses in preparation for the crucial upcoming matches, emphasizing that the situation is not hopeless.

“Now, he needs to identify the team’s mistakes and move forward for the upcoming matches. You never know what might happen. We just have to keep hope alive,” he concluded.

Nigeria is currently in fourth place in Group C with seven points after six games and is six points behind the leader, South Africa.

Nigeria's qualification campaign continues in September with a home game against Rwanda in Uyo before an important away match against South Africa.