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Super Eagles coach Éric Chelle praised his players for showing strong character in their 2-1 victory over Madagascar in the opening match of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign.
Nigeria came from behind to defeat Barea at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday night.
Madagascar surprised the home crowd in the 16th minute when Kari Eshan rose to head in a cross from the left.
George Ilenikhena, making his first appearance for the Super Eagles, restored parity in first-half stoppage time after receiving a superb pass from Alex Iwobi.
Moses Usor then completed Nigeria’s comeback in the 65th minute, brilliantly dribbling past two defenders before firing the ball into the net.
Chelle praises the players’ mentality
Reflecting on the hard-fought victory, Chelle praised his players for maintaining a positive mindset despite falling behind and missing several opportunities.
“We made a mistake and conceded. After that, we had chances to score, but we were too eager and couldn’t take advantage of them,” Chelle said during his post-match media interaction.
“But in the end we were able to come back and win the game. That was very important.”
“The mood was good. They gave everything for the shirt and for the country. I was very happy because Víctor was also here.
“I was happy because it means this group is trying to move forward and do something great.”
Madagascar’s defensive approach caused problems
Chelle also admitted that Madagascar’s defensive approach made life difficult for the Super Eagles, particularly after they adopted a low block.
“Stanley Nwabali did well to make a good save in the one-on-one situation. It was an important save at that point in the game,” Chelle said.
Also read: AFCONQ 2027: I want my players to be aggressive and play with intensity against Madagascar – Chelle
“Madagascar parked the area, which complicated things for us. In the second half we could have scored more goals.
“It could have been five or six goals in our favor. We started with the diamond, but we changed our shape after the break because of the low block.
“As I said, it wasn’t bad. In general, I’m happy with the result of the game and the desire shown by the players.”
Ilenikhena and Usor impress in their debut
Debutants George Ilenikhena and Moses Usor made an immediate impact and helped Nigeria to a difficult victory.
Chelle praised the more experienced players for helping the newcomers adapt to the team.
“I think the old players deserve praise for helping the new players feel comfortable,” he added.
“They always accept new players as if they were younger brothers, which is good for the team. My job is to discover new players and bring them in. They have done well helping them adapt properly.”
Guinea-Bissau, the next step for the Super Eagles
The Super Eagles will now turn their attention to their next qualifying match against Guinea-Bissau on Tuesday.
The Djurtus also started their campaign with a win, defeating Tanzania 2-0 on Friday.
Chelle expects another challenging encounter, but remained tight-lipped about his tactical plans for the match.
“The focus now is on the next match against Guinea-Bissau. They also have their strengths and weaknesses,” said Chelle.
“I won’t reveal how we are going to approach the match, whether it will be the formation we used against Madagascar or whether it will be different tactics.”
By Adeboye Amosu
