The first idea is to give a signal to everybody that Nigeria is a good team, and my players are in good state of mind and understand what’s at stake
By Moses Okorie
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has assured Nigerians that the team is fully prepared to secure maximum points against Madagascar in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying match in Uyo.
Chelle gave the assurance on Thursday during a pre-match press conference ahead of Friday’s encounter, saying the team had put its disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign behind it and was focused on making a strong start to the AFCON qualifiers.
“It is our job to manage pressure, as the qualifiers start tomorrow. We have to be ready for the group match.
“For us and the country, there is a big game tomorrow. We had our last training session today and we have prepared well for this game,” Chelle said.
The coach said his players were highly motivated and determined to win, adding that victory would send a strong message to other teams in the group and across Africa.
“The first idea is to give a signal to everybody that Nigeria is a good team, and my players are in good state of mind and understand what’s at stake.
“This isn’t time to have doubts because we are in Uyo to win. My players on the field will be very aggressive and put a lot of intensity,” he added.
Chelle said the players understood the importance of the assignment and were determined to give their best at every training session and during the match.
On the team’s injury situation, the coach confirmed that several players, including Femi Azeez, Victor Osimhen and Dele Bashiru, would have been considered for the fixture but are unavailable. He, however, expressed confidence in the players available for selection.
Chelle acknowledged that Madagascar would present a difficult challenge, recalling the island nation’s 2-0 victory over Nigeria at the 2019 AFCON in Egypt. He, however, insisted that the Super Eagles were ready to fight until the final whistle.
Meanwhile, Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi admitted that the team’s previous World Cup qualifying campaign was disappointing but said the players had learned from the experience.
“We are going to approach this game with all seriousness because the first game in every competition is very important.
“We’re focused to set the momentum in these qualifiers to build our confidence ahead of subsequent games,” Ndidi said.
The midfielder added that the team was prepared to cope with the pressure and was determined to secure maximum points.
“I don’t know about other teams in the group, but for us, as the coach said, pressure is part of our game, so we try to play through the pressure.
“The most important thing is that as a team, we are ready to make Nigerians proud against Madagascar. We don’t care who qualified in other groups,” he said.
Madagascar head coach Corentin Martins, speaking through an interpreter, also expressed confidence ahead of the encounter, saying his team had travelled to Uyo with the intention of winning.
Martins recalled Madagascar’s famous victory over Nigeria in 2019 but noted that Friday’s encounter would be different.
“We know Nigeria has a good team and they have great players playing in different parts of the world, but we will give our best.
“Our main objective is to qualify for the 2027 AFCON,” he said.
The Madagascar coach expressed satisfaction that Osimhen would miss the match but acknowledged that Nigeria had other quality players capable of posing a serious threat.
Martins added that his team arrived in Nigeria early to acclimatise to the environment and prepare adequately for the crucial encounter.
The Super Eagles will face Madagascar in Uyo on Friday as both sides begin their quest for qualification for the 2027 AFCON.