Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle says pressure is an integral part of his job as Nigeria prepare to begin their qualification campaign, insisting that his team must remain focused ahead of their opening game.
Nigeria are set to begin their campaign at home against Madagascar, with expectations high on the Super Eagles to make a strong start.
Speaking ahead of the game in a pre-match conference, Chelle said the team would not attempt to avoid the pressure but would instead deal with it as part of their responsibility to the national team.
“We don’t manage the pressure. We try to deal with the pressure. This is our job. The pressure is a part of the job,” Chelle said.
Chelle also stressed the importance of starting the campaign strongly, recalling Nigeria’s difficult start in the previous World Cup qualifying campaign.
“We know the experiences of the last World Cup. We started really, really poor, really bad. It will never happen again because this is a focused team,” he said.
According to him, the opening match will be crucial in establishing the momentum needed for the remaining games.
“We are planning to set the momentum because the first game is the most important game of every competition. This is qualifiers. The first game sets the momentum. So it gives us the confidence to go for the other games coming,” he added.
“For me, of course, this is the best team in Africa, and maybe this team has a good ranking in the world. So we are motivated,” the coach said.
He challenged his players to demonstrate the intensity and mentality he expects from them when they face Madagascar.
“My players are very good. They have a good state of mind. They understand everything. So, like I said every time, this is not a question of winning or losing. This is a question of state of mind,” Chelle said.
The coach acknowledged that Madagascar would pose a difficult challenge, recalling the island nation’s 2-0 victory over Nigeria at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.
“For sure it will be a difficult game because Madagascar, this is not a tough team. This is a big team. I think they won against Nigeria in 2019. So we have to be ready. It will be a fight,” he said.
Chelle also addressed the late arrival of Udinese defender Maduka Okoye, explaining that the player’s club had requested his participation in an event.
“The club of Udinese asked me to let him make an event for the club. He was supposed to come before, but he’s not here. So I will manage the situation because I have to take some decisions,” he said.
The Super Eagles coach also noted that the team has been affected by injuries but insisted that the squad has enough depth to cope with the absences.
“We have a lot of injuries. So this is not a problem for us. We have a group. Of course, I prefer that these guys are with us. But we have to work on it. So we are ready to play that game,” Chelle said.