Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has acknowledged that his side still has room for improvement despite Nigeria’s hard-fought 3-2 win over Tunisia.
Nigeria appeared to be cruising after storming into a three-goal lead, with Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman all finding the net.
However, the Carthage Eagles staged a late revival as Montassar Talbi reduced the deficit in the 74th minute before Ali Abdi’s 87th-minute penalty made the closing stages uncomfortable for the Super Eagles.
Speaking after the match, Chelle said Tunisia’s comeback underlined the work still ahead for his team, even as he pointed out the positives from the performance.
“We still have to play a game that will bring the confidence and shows our ambitions,” he said. “There’s positives in Tunisia’s comeback. It shows that there is still something for us to work on and something to improve. It will keep me and my players motivated.”
The Nigerian coach also admitted the pressure of the final minutes took its toll on him on the sidelines.
“Those final 15 or so minutes will give me nightmares. I was going a little bit crazy about what was happening because the players deserved a big game. And it was a test against a big team like Tunisia,” Chelle added.
The victory confirmed Nigeria’s qualification for the Round of 16. The Super Eagles will conclude their group campaign against Uganda’s Cranes on Tuesday, December 30, with the East Africans coming off a 1-1 draw against Tanzania.
