Eric Chelle has expressed satisfaction with the performance of Nigeria after they sealed an emphatic 2-0 win over Algeria in their AFCON quarterfinal clash on Saturday.
The Super Eagles marched on to the semifinals of the competition with their best performance of the competition so far against the North African opposition.
Victor Osimhen broke the deadlock in a one-sided affair in the 47th minute with a stunning header, before Akor Adams added a second goal 10 minutes later to cap an impressive performance.
“It was a great game, we played well to win this game and I’m so proud of them (Super Eagles players)”, Chelle stated after the win.
“We work a lot and deserve this victory but this is just one game so if you want to stay ambitious you have to work again because we have a big game in a few days so we will continue to work.
“For 45 minutes, we stayed calm. I told the players to trust the process. When the moment came, we struck with authority. That first goal was important. It released the pressure and gave us belief to play our football”, the former Mali coach added.
“We were ruthless when opportunities came. That is the mentality we want at this level.”
Nigeria limited the Algerians to just three efforts on goal in a dominant performance, with none on target as they advanced to the last four where they will now battle against the host nations Morocco.
The semifinal clash will take place on Wednesday night at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, with the Super Eagles seeking to win to reach a second consecutive final.
“Morocco are strong and playing at home. There will be pressure, but we respect them and believe in ourselves.
We will rest, analyse, and prepare. The best team will win, and we want to be that team,” he concluded.
The winner of the semifinal clash between Nigeria and Morocco, will face either Senegal or Egypt in the final of the 2025 AFCON tournament on January 18.
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