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Chelle has admitted that Super Eagles stars are struggling with his style of play
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has admitted that his players are finding it hard to adapt to his style of play.
He admitted that fatigue set in for his players in the second half of their 2-1 semi-final win over Ghana at the Gtech Community Stadium in London, during the 2025 Unity Cup.
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Nigeria looked unstoppable in the first half, storming to a 2-0 lead through a well-taken finish by Cyriel Dessers, his third goal for the national team — and an unfortunate own goal from Ghana’s Razak Simpson, who deflected Semi Ajayi’s header past his goalkeeper.
However, Ghana returned after the break with renewed energy and put Nigeria under sustained pressure, pulling one back and forcing the Super Eagles to dig deep defensively to hold onto their lead.
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What Chelle said
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Chelle acknowledged that the high-intensity pressing style he implemented wore his players out in the second half.
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Chelle, who only recently took over the national team, stressed the importance of time and training to refine his tactical approach. He noted that since his appointment, he has had limited time to fully implement his ideas.
“My philosophy is [that] I want to make some high pressure on the pitch, but the system is very difficult for the players,” Chelle said at the post-match press conference.
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He continued, “My dream is that I want my team to keep up the high pressure for 90 minutes. But I think it is impossible. So we need to work and improve.”
“Since I’ve been the coach of this team, I’ve had maybe seven or eight training sessions. We have played three games — two wins and one draw. We need to improve. We need to work. The players need to know what I want,” he said.
“I think we made a great first half and in the second half we were tired. My guys, I’m so proud of them because they fight. It was difficult, but I see that they deserve — we deserve — the victory.”
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13:18 - 23.05.2025
It’s a chance - Super Eagles coach opens up on what London trip and battle against Ghana mean
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has emphasised the importance of the Unity Cup in London to experiment with new players and build the team ahead of September qualifiers, highlighting the intense Nigeria vs Ghana semi-final showdown.
Eric Chelle was appointed as the head coach of the Super Eagles on January 7, 2025. He took charge of the team for the first time in March 2025.
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