Rather than discussing the weaknesses of the team, Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has revealed that the team’s focus is on their next World Cup qualifier against Zimbabwe at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on March 25, 2025, which will be Matchday 6 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
“We need to be ready for the next game. I prefer to focus on my team rather than discussing weaknesses. My priority is analyzing and improving our own play.
I’m proud of my players—congratulations to them. But we have work to do. This was just the first game, and while I’m happy with the win, we must keep improving.”
The 47-year-old Malian, who was appointed in January, broke the jinx by helping Nigeria secure their first win in the World Cup qualifiers after failing in their last four attempts.
Chelle, who adopts a dynamic, attack-minded formation, emphasized the need for tactical flexibility to suit each game:
“We have a team with strengths and weaknesses, and my job is to shape the game plan accordingly,” Chelle explained. “I want my players to understand that we can play in different ways. Today, we used two or three different systems.”
Despite having limited time to train with the squad, Chelle expressed his satisfaction with the players and coaching staff:
“It was a very difficult game because Rwanda has a strong team and a good coach. But we also played very well. I’m very happy and proud of my players, my staff, and the Nigerian people,” he said.
“We only had one week and two training sessions to prepare, but we shared a lot of information. We had a clear game plan, and the players followed it perfectly. So, I believe this win was deserved.”
