The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Super  Eagles

  • Morocco 2025: Super  Eagles gave  good answer  against Uganda, says Chelle

    Morocco 2025: Super  Eagles gave  good answer  against Uganda, says Chelle

    • Officials sweat over injured  Alebiosu, Dessers

    Coach Eric Sekou Chelle has admitted that the Super Eagles did an excellent job following  their emphatic  3-1 win over the Cranes of  Uganda in their last Group C  match at the ongoing Afria Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025.

    Speaking at his press conference after the team’s successive  victories at the AFCON, The 48-year-old tactician  said he’s  already  accustomed to the pressure of the Super Eagles’ job, adding the team  would keep improving  as  the tournaments  heads to the decisive knockout phase.

     “Of course, there is pressure but I’m fascinated by  that,”  the Franco Malian coach  said with  smiles. “Since we  came, I have faced a lot of pressure but I feel good because as I said the town (Fes) is perfect, the hotel is good  and the atmosphere is perfect.

    “ We are calm and if you watch the game, I I’m calm  and  just want to stay focused  during the game. I have my vision  though sometimes it’s very good and sometimes it’s very bad.”

    Read Also: Arsenal 4-1 Aston Villa: Gunners thump title rivals to end year five points clear at top of Premier League

    Yet Chelle was full of praises  for the team’s display against  the East Africans, adding  they did a good game.

    “We work every day; the group  works and we gave  a good answer today (against Uganda)  because  the players who have not started before  started today’s match,” he  further said.

     “They showed something today  and we scored three goals ; and I’m very happy for that . now, I have a little pain  in my head  because  I have a lot of choices since anybody can play in the team ; and it’s perfect for me.

    “Of course, I’m happy over the three goals but we  have  to improve again if we want to be ambitious ; we have to keep improving.”

    Ahead of next Monday’s  Round of 16 match with the third-placed team from Group F, Chelle said the  Super Eagles  are already  at home in Fes.

    He said:  “I’m very happy to stay in Fes  because the town is good and calm; the people are very nice and I’m happy to stay here.”

    Meanwhile, officials have given  the injury updates  on the Super Eagles  with confirmation  that  Blackburn defender, Ryan Alebiosu, who made his debut  against Uganda  may have played  his last game of the tournament  after  he sustained  ‘a deep cut on his right leg’.

     While there is so much uncertainty over  Alebiosu,  striker  Cyriel Dessers reportedly  has a thigh problem and  he is scheduled for a scan today  to ascertain the severity of his injury.

  • W’CUP26: Four- star Super  Eagles maul Benin to pick Play-Off ticket

    W’CUP26: Four- star Super  Eagles maul Benin to pick Play-Off ticket

    Talismanic Osimhen grabs hat trick

    Bafana Bafana pick WC ticket in Group C

    Determined  to earn a place in next year’s FIFA World Cup  in the North America,  the Super Eagles  yesterday produced a four-star performance  with a comprehensive  4-0 thrashing  of  Benin Republic  while axe striker   Victor Osimhen  netted  a hat trick  at the  Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.  

    The Galatasaray forward opened  the floodgate  for the  Super  Eagles  as early as the third  minute, finishing off a brilliant assist from Samuel Chukwueze after a swift attacking move.He doubled Nigeria’s advantage in the 37th   minute again after being teed up by  Chukwueze.

    The Super Eagles continued their dominance after the break and Osimhen completed his hat-trick in the 51st  minute , heading home a chipped pass from Moses Simon.

    Substitute Frank Onyeka put the icing on the cake in the 90th  minute with probably 

    the best goal  of the day with a fine volley , sealing an emphatic 4–0 victory for the Super Eagles.

    Meanwhile, South Africa beat Rwanda 3-0 in Nelspruit to finish first in Group C as Benin, who had a two-point lead going into the final round of fixtures, tumbled from top place to third in the standings after being thumped 4-0 in Uyo.

    South Africa finished on 18 points, with Nigeria runners-up ahead of Benin on goal difference as both ended with 17 points.

    Ironically, South Africa had three points deducted last month after being found guilty of fielding a suspended player in an earlier qualifier in March, a mistake they admitted.

    Read Also: NFF D-License coaching course takes off in Abuja

    But that will be largely forgotten now as South Africa qualified for the first time since they hosted the finals in 2010.

    Thalente Mbatha scored after five minutes, and Oswin Appollis netted the second in the 21st  minute to put South Africa on their way. Striker Evidence Makgopa made it 3-0 in the 72nd  minute with a header from a corner.

    In  related development, Gabon and Cameroon are the two countries ahead of Nigeria presently in the new table for second-placed teams across the nine groups, going CAF’s new method of calculating the second-placed teams following the withdrawal of Eritrea from the race. Nigeria bagged 15 points with a goals’ difference of plus seven, as against Burkina Faso’s 15 points and goals’ difference of plus six.

    Either Burkina Faso or the Democratic Republic of Congo (playing at home to Sudan on Tuesday night) will join the trio for the battles of Morocco next month.

    The winner in Morocco will proceed to the Six-Team Intercontinental Playoff, scheduled for the Mexican cities of Guadalajara and Monterrey in March next year, where two teams will emerge and qualify for the finals in USA, Canada and Mexico.

    The winner from the African playoff will be joined by Bolivia, New Caledonia and two teams from Central America, and one from Asia.