Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, has expressed immense pride and satisfaction, though admitted that the journey ahead is still far following Nigeria’s emphatic 4–0 win over Benin Republic at the Nest of Champions in Uyo on Tuesday, October 14 — a result that sealed the team’s place in the African playoffs for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, platinumnewsng.com is reporting.
Speaking during the post-match press conference, Chelle applauded his players for their resilience and quick adaptation to his new tactical philosophy despite the short time together.
“I’m so proud of my players, they deserved this game because it was not easy with the new coach, it’s a new philosophy that came out really fast. So now we go to Morocco, this is not finished, this is the beginning, it will be very very difficult.
The Franco-Malian tactician, who only recently took charge of the Super Eagles, highlighted the team’s strong mentality and consistency over a demanding week of fixtures.
“Tonight I’m just happy for my players, they played a great game two hours ago, they played a great game 3 days ago. Like I said before in the last conference, things are good because you are here, and I’m happy for the fans because they brought us the victory, they helped us to push and get us this victory.”
Chelle also reserved special praise for his players’ commitment and determination, singling out their collective effort as the key to success.
“The players played a very great game, especially the best striker in the world. And all the players gave everything, for me, for sure they are my champions, so I’m happy, I’m very happy for them, for these players.”
Reflecting on the ups and downs of football, Chelle emphasised unity and accountability within the squad.
“Football is like that, sometimes you make a mistake and you lose but they like the country, Nigeria and they give everything so for me I just want them to focus on the state of mind, on the life goals, and sometimes I make some mistakes too but actually you can ask the captain and the players.”
The coach concluded by stressing the importance of collective effort and continuous improvement as the team prepares for the decisive playoffs in Morocco.
“We’re family and if we win this is together and if we lose, this is together so once again I’m happy for them, I’m so proud of my players, I’m so proud of my captain because he scored a great penalty in Lesotho, so everybody brings something to this team and like I said, this is not finished. So thank you very much for everything and now we have lots of work again”