Coach Eric Sekou Chelle is upbeat that the Super Eagles have turned the corner after they emerged champions of the Unity Cup in London on Saturday night following a hard-fought 5-4 penalty shoot-out win over the Reggae Boyz of Jamaica after they both tied in the tournament’s finale.
Speaking after the match, the team’s head coach expressed delight at the win—his first trophy since taking over the national team—but also pointed to areas for improvement as the Super Eagles gear up for the next phase of World Cup qualification.
“I didn’t agree with the NFF about this tournament initially because the players are tired,” the coach admitted during the post-match press conference. “But then. I thought we could use it to build. I wanted to give the new players a chance to prove themselves.”
The Unity Cup, played in a compact format, featured a blend of experienced internationals and debutants. The coach noted that the tournament served as an important testing ground for tactical flexibility and squad depth.
“We tried different formations and approaches,” he said. “There’s a lot we can take from this tournament. Yes, we made two mistakes in this game, but we’ll work on them. What I saw was a team with good spirit, a group that wants to work.”
On individual performances, the coach singled out Christantus Uche for praise, describing his impact as “immense,” and expressed confidence in the player’s future with the national team.
“Uche deserves to be in this team. I have white hair now because of how many attackers we have,” he joked. “But seriously, we need to be better in attack, midfield and defence. There’s still a lot to do.”
He also highlighted Brentford’s Benjamin Franklin’s composure in what was his first major outing for Nigeria.
“Benjamin was calm and read the game well. But like all players, he still needs to improve. It was just one game for him—but a big game.”
Looking ahead to Nigeria’s upcoming friendly against Russia, the coach said the focus would be on mental preparation.
“We want to go there and win,” he stated. “We have to work—mentally. I keep telling the players: we must show the world what our mind-set is. That’s just as important as tactics.”
The Super Eagles’ Unity Cup triumph is expected to boost morale in the camp as preparations intensify for the next round of international fixtures.
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
