Chelle’s Kigali Jump?

BY IKENWA ASHIBUOGWU NNABUOGOR

The tales of Kigali will be decided if it will be in a hard cover published book form or a casual e-book exercise after Eric Chelle must have finished his mission with his men in East Africa.

The baptism of fire in Kigali with the Amavubi Army is Chelle’s first pudding and the outcome of the artillery bombing at the Amahoro Arena will surely define in clear terms Chelle’s Eagles’ mission.

Eagles return to the battlefields again as the race to the tri-nations route to USA, Canada and Mexico hots up and anything short of victory will not be good enough.

Chelle inherited a badly bruised Eagles’ team that flew with broken wings in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers to sit badly in the wrong foot of the log and the Kigali trip will determine a lot of things.

For Chelle and the team as a whole, it’s a tough road to thread full of patches and thorns but a good one in Kigali will flash some lights in the dark alleys to USA, Canada and Mexico.

The young French-Malian has got down to work with the dusts raised on his surprise engagement yet to settle and it appears he could get his groove on after all.

Nothing short of confidence was the reason why Chelle chose to fly with the troubled Eagles and such boldness could be the tonic for this uncommon desire to succeed with the team.

It remains to be seen if he will invade Amahoro to break down the fortress and set his side on the path of victory. Chelle knows what winning there will do for himself and his team and the determination to achieve will hit the fever pitch.

The much anticipated list of invited players has finally arrived with as much as 35 making the provisional list as usual as the trip to Kigali is just 14 days away.

The bogus team with a limited time to play is typical with the Nigerian football teams and Chelle tagging along, will only prove the norm is perpetually here with us.

As usual, both deserving and undeserving players made the list and further pruning to the FIFA standard 23-man team will also have rooms for one or two undeserving players still breathing in the final cut.

Where will this “business as usual” norm of inviting players take Chelle somewhere as Kigali “sector of the war” nears brutally near?

Chelle had sounded out his killer attacking frontline was uncompromising and that victory was more important to him than any other thing. Good one for good old Chelle as the Eagles’ arrowhead Victor Osihmen isn’t smiling with defenders in Turkey and come backing Victor Boniface coming with the same vibes from Germany.

Boniface’s Eagles’ account has been anything but fantastic but the Bayer Leverkusen star could still be breaking his duck in Kigali. Eleven appearances without a goal isn’t a good one for the impressive striker but he will be hard pressed to score and keep his place in the team.

Chelle also extended his net to England to drag beanpole striker Paul Onuachu in but his Southampton show isn’t returning the good favours for his inclusion.

Only Chelle knows why he chose to bring back Onuachu and the result out of Kigali will prove him right or wrong because it sure appears the former Midtylland hit man will be in the final Kigali train.

Ademola Lookman will always repay Chelle’s confidence and just like he did in the same venue the last time for a disallowed goal effort, it will be a clean goal this time.

Chelle’s most likely in for a massive Kigali Jump should his embattled team push their egos to the front seat to claim Rwanda’s scalp before their home fans.