Super Eagles’ coach, Eric Chelle is staying defiant and optimistic, despite his team’s inability to defeat Zimbabwe, as he insists the Nigerian squad was the better side in Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier at Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.
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Sports247 reports that the game ended 1-1, after one of Zimbabwe’s substitutes cancelled out Victor Osimhen’s hard-earned sizzler that initially gave the hosts a ray of hope of picking maximum points for the second straight match.
However, Tawanda Chiwera struck just ten minutes after getting off the bench, as he received a piercing pass from his namesake and fellow-sub, Tawanda Maswanhise to cancel out Osimhen’s 74th minute opening goal that came through Ola Aina’s assist.
The result left Nigeria with seven points and stuck in fourth position on the Group C table, six points behind top placed South Africa, while Benin Republic and Rwanda have eight points each, to stand third and second respectively.
In spite of the setback, though, Chelle insisted his players are still up to the task of picking the group’s lone qualification ticket or, in a worst case scenario, finish as runners-up and gun for a spot through the play-offs.
The Franco-Malian tactician further opined that failing to find their rhythm in The Nest of Champions did not take anything away from the quality of his team, and he submitted that they played better than their visitors on the evening in Uyo.
Chelle retorted, “Normally, we can score maybe 10 goals in the first half, but you can make some mistakes.
We tried our technical skills, but Zimbabwe came to defend and stop our game. In the second half, we took control, and when we scored the goal, we thought maybe it was finished. But even 10 seconds can change a game.”
The former Mali and MC Oran of Algeria gaffer admitted that losing many scoring chances counted against his team, and they could not make their domination of play count, but he posited with sympathetic words for the lads and their fans.
“Still, my team was the best on the pitch, with position ball and fast attack, but we just missed some goals. I’m so disappointed for my players and the country, because I know we can do it. But, for the next game, I know we can go and look beyond second class,” Chelle reassured.
