Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has expressed disappointed at his side’s performance as their World Cup aspirations took a huge dent in the 1-1 draw against Zimbabwe on Tuesday.
The three-time African champions had secured a first win of their qualifying campaign on Friday, defeating Rwanda 2-0 at the Amahoro stadium in Kigali and needed back to back victories to make a statement to their rivals.
Instead, they were held to a stalemate by a spirited performance from the away side who grabbed a late equalizer to deny Nigeria a win.
Speaking after the game, Eric Chelle who took charge of just his second game in charge of the Super Eagles, was unsatisfied with the results and believed his side deserved more from the encounter.
He said: “We tried to score many goals and after we scored I told my players to continue trying to score another goal.
“We were a little tired, we need ten seconds to analyze this goal because we made a small mistake to concede the goal.
This is how we conceded against Rwanda here. This goal determined the result of the match”, he added.
Nigeria remain fourth in Group C, six points behind South Africa in first place, although they will be buoyed by the fact that Bafana Bafana face a three-point deduction for fielding an ineligible player in their 2-0 win over Lesotho on Friday.
“My job is to analyse this game, and I think the team improved. The team improved in intensity and aggressivity with the ball. They make fast attacks.
They made long possession of the ball. This is football. We’ve seen lots of games like that. Maybe I need some time, too; maybe not. But I think we deserve to win this game”, the 47-year old commented.
“I’m so disappointed for my players and for the country.”
The Super Eagles must win their remaining group games to ensure an automatic qualifying spot, in a bid to return to the biggest World stage after missing out in 2022.
They next face a doubleheader against Rwanda and South Africa in September in two must-win matches.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
