Super Eagles head coach, Éric Chelle has insisted that his team deserved to win despite settling for a 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe in their 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier in Uyo.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Chelle was disappointed with the result but insisted his team put in a better performance compared to their 2-0 win over Rwanda.
“The Team Improved in Intensity and Attack”
Éric Chelle stated that Nigeria played with more intensity and showed better attacking play than in their previous game, but football can sometimes be unpredictable.
“My job is to analyze this game, and I think the team improved—improved in intensity, in aggressivity, with the ball.”
“They made fast attacks, they made long possession play, they deserved to win. So this is football.”
“Maybe I Need More Time, Maybe Not”
The Super Eagles coach acknowledged that football often produces frustrating results, but he remained firm in his belief that his team played well enough to take all three points.
“We saw a lot of games like that, so maybe I need some time, too. Maybe no, but I think that again, we deserved to win this game.”
With Nigeria six points behind South Africa in Group C, their World Cup qualification hopes now hang in the balance as they prepare for the remaining fixtures.
