Chelle advised his players to delay their celebrations until they beat DR Congo in the final of the playoff.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, has cautioned his team to remain focused and not consider Thursday night’s thrashing of the Panthers of Gabon as “mission accomplished.”
The Malian tactician sounded the note of warning on Thursday night during his post-match briefing.
Nigeria sealed a place in the final of the 2026 FIFA/CAF World Cup playoff after a comprehensive 4-1 victory over Gabon in Rabat, Morocco in the semi-final.
The three-time African champions must now beat the Leopards of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo), who shocked Cameroon in the other semi-final, on Sunday to earn a place in the Intercontinental playoffs.
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Speaking ahead of the final, Chelle told his players that they have yet to achieve anything despite the big win over Gabon.
He advised them to delay their celebrations until they beat DR Congo in the final of the playoff.
He said, “They did (win vs Gabon), but this is nothing because they have another game in two days. Maybe after the second game, we can smile.”
The encounter against DR Congo will hold at the Prince Héritier Moulay El Hassan Sports Complex, Rabat.
The kick-off of the highly anticipated encounter is 8 p.m. Nigerian time.
