Super Eagles To Battle Jamaica For Unity Cup In London
The Nigerian Super Eagles will play Jamaica in the Unity Cup final on Saturday at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Chelle led the team to a 2-1 win over archrivals Ghana on Wednesday, securing a place in the tournament’s final.
Nigeria will be hoping to win the tournament again after winning it in 2004.
Jamaica recorded a late 3-2 win over Trinidad and Tobago after surrendering a 2-0 lead before Ryan King scored a last-minute penalty to give them a 3-2 win.
The stands at Gtech on Saturday evening will be a sea of green-and-white and yellow-and-black, but more than that, a festival of dancing, drumming, high-decibel singing and competitive spirit in an exhilarating atmosphere is guaranteed.
Eric Chelle will be looking for a third win in four matches for three-time African champions Nigeria. The prospect of holding a trophy after only four matches in charge makes it more appealing.
Goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, defenders Waliu Ojetoye and Junior Nduka, midfielder Saviour Isaac and forwards Tolu Arokodare, Nathan Tella and Adamu Abubakar, who sat out the win over Ghana, will be hopeful of getting minutes, alongside Germany-based wing-back Felix Agu, now cleared to represent Nigeria.
Former junior international Benjamin Frederick, called up in place of the absent Christantus Uche, will also be hopeful of seeing action at some point.
Chelle admitted that the team struggled to cope with his pressing style in the first half against Ghana.
He said, “My philosophy is [that] I want to make some high pressure on the pitch, but the system is very difficult for the players.
“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.”
Chelle is confident that the team will adapt to his coaching style with time.
He said, “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.”
“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.”
Chelle has enjoyed a topsy-turvy time in charge of the Super Eagles since winning his first match in charge against Rwanda.
Super Eagles To Battle Jamaica For Unity Cup In London is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
