Super Eagles’ coach, Eric Chelle has declared that he is not making any mathematical calculations or permutations about his team’s chances of qualifying for next year’s FIFA World Cup, Sports247 reports.
While acknowledging that FIFA’s recent deduction of three points from South Africa’s total haul created fresh talking points in the group, the Franco-Malian tactician stressed that it was not something he celebrated in any special way.
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Rather than bother himself about his team’s chances of pulling off a last ditch qualification to the first World Cup that will be co-hosted by three countries, Chelle stressed that he is only concentrating on how to defeat Lesotho this Friday in Polokwane.
Chelle added, “From the first day up till now, I was always thinking that we could go to the World Cup, and I believe anything can happen.
“Last week, I didn’t wake up and say, ‘Wow, they’ve dropped three points from South Africa, and we can now qualify. We tried to win our last match but we got a draw, and the reality is that we didn’t lose. So, this is football.”
He also downplayed speculation that he aims to use the last group game versus Benin Republic next week Tuesday in Uyo as thSuper Eagles, insisting instead thst all his focus for now is on Friday’s clash with Lesotho, who drew the first leg 1-1 in Uyo.
Chelle affirmed, “Now we have the last two games, and our only thinking for now is this game versus Lesotho. We are thinking of how to win it.
“After that, people can do the mathematics and try to calculate what happens next. But, the reality for now is that we focus only on this game.”
The former coach of Mali and MC Oran of Algeria concluded by reiterating that he and his players will proceed with each match at a time, regardless of various permutations that are currently going on about the group’s likely winner.
“The reality for now is that we must focus on this game versus Lesotho, and we’ll then see what happens after it. The reality is that we just have to focus on this game and only this game,” Chelle assured.
