Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle is determined to lead his side to victory when they face Benin Republic next Tuesday.
Nigeria host the Cheetahs, led by former head coach Gernot Rohr, at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium next week in their final qualifying match, with both sides eyeing a spot at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Benin Republic defeated Rwanda 1-0 on Friday to stay top of Group C ahead of South Africa, who were held to a goalless draw by Zimbabwe.
The Super Eagles are third with 14 points after their victory over Lesotho and must now win their game on Tuesday, while hoping that Bafana Bafana fail to defeat Rwanda in another group game.
While speaking in a post match press conference after the 2-1 win over Lesotho on Friday, Chelle admonished the fans to rally behind the team ahead of the crucial tie.
“Maybe now, other teams will take some of that pressure too, and I’m happy about that — very happy. Because playing a game without anything at stake is not the same football,” the Nigerian coach said.
“We need our fans behind us to put a lot of pressure on Benin Republic. We’re in Africa, so we need to make things tough for them. This is the World Cup qualifiers — the game starts when they put their feet in our country. We need to do the job on the pitch.”
William Troost-Ekong opened the scoring from the penalty spot on Friday, before Akor Adams scored on his debut to add to the scoreline.
The home side pulled one back late in the game after a mistake by Nigerian goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali, as the game ended 2-1 in favor of the visitors.
“Today, we are happy because we won the three points. We’re still alive, and maybe the journalists can do the mathematics,” Chelle added.
“I’m happy for my players — I want to congratulate them. We feel the pressure, and since March, every time my players come into camp, they feel it too. For Nigeria, for our team, we need to travel, we need to go to the World Cup, so there’s a lot of pressure. This is not an excuse; it’s just the reality.”
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.
