Super Eagles’ technical adviser, Eric Sekou Chelle, has admitted that he faced a lot of difficulties preparing Nigeria’s B-squad for the ongoing Championship of African Nations (CHAN 2024), and it has also been tough guiding them through the competition itself.
With corporate support from Showtime, a leading brand in football development, Sports247 was on hand live in Zanzibar, as Chelle opened up during the pre-match media briefing ahead of Tuesday’s last group match versus Congo.
It will be Nigeria’s last match at this year’s edition of the second-string competition meant for home-based players, as the CHAN Eagles have already lost two fixtures, and Chelle hinted that he will unfold a new starting line-up, since it is a mere consolation game.
The Franco-Malian tactician expatiated, “Of course, there will be some adjustments, because we have lost two matches, and we have to change some things. We lost those games, and we are out of the competition because of what we did wrong.
“We are responsible for how we conceded five goals in this tournament, and we could not score any. It happened because we made a lot of mistakes.”
Speaking in a coarse and barely audible voice, Chelle also confessed that he and the players found it difficult at CHAN 2024, mostly due to the fact that they had limited time to prepare for the championship.
The embattled gaffer, who also acknowledged that he is not familiar with Nigeria’s home-based players, conceded that the only thing they now have to do is play for pride on Tuesday, in order to get a consolation result before heading back home.
“It was difficult for us, and the reality is that the tournament is over for us, but we need to go back to Nigeria with something.
“So, for this last game, we need to correct our mistakes. For that to happen, I’m watching my players, I’m watching their reactions, and I want to know what they think about this game.
“For me, it’s been quite difficult, because I’m not a coach in the league,” the former Mali and MC Oran of Algeria head coach confessed.
He concluded by further pointing out that he had just two weeks together with the squad before they headed out to their Group D base in Zanzibar, a time frame he believes was too short for the players to adopt his tactics.
“You have to be in the right state of mind and have enough time to build a team that can show the quality you want. This is difficult within two weeks.
“Once again, this has been difficult for me. Because, as a coach, you need to know the qualities and weaknesses of your players. But, within two weeks, it’s difficult to show your quality,” conceded Chelle.
Sports247 reports further that the mulatto tactician, who is now desperate for a good result against Congo on Tuesday, will have to quickly turn his focus on salvaging Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign, as the race resumes early next month.
