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Super Eagles chief coach Eric Chelle, admitted his disappointment after Nigeria settled a 1-1 draw from South Africa in his classification match of the FIFA 2026 World Cup, on Tuesday, in Bloemfontein.
Bafana Bafana hit first in the 25th minute when Nigeria’s captain, William Troost-Ekong, unadverted the ball converted into his own network, giving the hosts the advantage.
Nigeria returned just before part time, with the ‘hand of God’ of defender Calvin Bassey forcing the ball to goalkeeper Ronwen Williams in the 45th minute to level for the super eagles.
The second half saw both sides to press for a winner in a contest full of intensity.
Nigeria pressed forward, while South Africa threatened the break, but the final touch was missing when the game ended all square.
Speaking after the game, Eric Chelle expressed his disappointment with the result.
“It was a great game with a lot of intensity and aggressiveness. Due to the field, both teams tried to play well. Congratulations to South Africa, they played a great game.
“We came determined to win, we take risks, but we granted early. We defended ourselves, but a draw is the result. It is good here, but we wanted the three points,” said Super Eagles coach in his post -party presser.
He also added that the team looks forward to the remaining World Cup qualifiers in October.
“My players are professionals, and I know they will still want to win the remaining two games. Much can happen during the next month. But before that, we will have to analyze our performance tonight, which will not be easy.”
Read too: Hugo Broos hits the condition of the stadium ahead of Super Eagles’s clash
The result leaves Nigeria in second place in the group at 11 points of eight games, while South Africa remains superior with two games to play.
At the edge of missing a second consecutive final of the World Cup, Nigeria will decide its destination when they face Lesotho and Benin Republic in their last two classification games.
