‘We are sad' – Eric Chelle opens up on Super Eagles regret ahead of Poland tie

Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle has expressed immense confidence in his squad depth despite the high-profile absences of talismanic forwards Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.

The tactical mastermind confirmed that both superstars will miss Wednesday's international friendly against Poland following Nigeria's successful Unity Cup triumph over Jamaica in London.

Speaking during his pre-match press conference at the National Stadium in Warsaw on Tuesday, Chelle didn't hide the lingering pain of Nigeria's failed 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, which ended via a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo in November 2025.

"We're sad we're not going to the World Cup, but that's life. We have to focus on our vision and strengths," the former Mali manager admitted transparently.

With both nations looking to rebuild after missing out on the global showpiece in North America, Chelle emphasised that the squad must look forward rather than backward, viewing the difficult European opposition as the perfect canvas to test a few different tactical approaches.

Despite being short-staffed in the attacking department, the Malian tactician remains adamant that his remaining pool of players possesses more than enough quality to execute his philosophy on the pitch.

"We have an interesting match ahead of us, in which we'll be able to test several solutions. We thank the Poles for their warm and friendly welcome," Chelle stated before hinting at secret structural changes.

"I've made a few decisions that I wouldn't like to elaborate on publicly. However, we have a lot of good players who will certainly fill in well for those absent," he assured.

Following a final intense training session on Tuesday evening, the Super Eagles will use this high-profile friendly as a vital foundational stepping stone toward their upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.