Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, has implied that Nigeria will not underestimate Zimbabwe when the two nations clash in a 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Tuesday.
Nigeria head into the game in high spirits after getting a first win in the World Cup qualifying series with a 2-0 victory over Rwanda in Kigali thanks to a Victor Osimhen brace on Friday.
Speaking to the press ahead of the Zimbabwe match, Chelle stated the game will not be easy as the southern African team is a good team that is working on a good project so focus will be required.
“We need to be focused on the second game, it’s the most important now,” Chelle said. “I’m proud of my player(s), what they [did] in Rwanda. it was very difficult but, they [got the job done].”
The former Mali coach added, “We [had] a good training session, so we need to go again to the pitch [for] the game. It will not be easy because Zimbabwe are a good team with good players.”
William Troost-Ekong echoed the coaches words to the press. “Thankfully, we have a lot of intelligent players that play at a high level. They will be used to changing tactics, maybe different cultures,” said the Al Kholood star.
The Super Eagles captain added, “The coach said it before, we have a lot of quality. So he’s not trying to explain to players how they need to play football but more about trying to get everyone playing in harmony and understanding the bigger picture. We saw that in the last game, and we have to show that again in the next game.”