Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle says he is determined to win more trophies for Nigeria after leading the team to victory at the Unity Cup in London on Saturday.
The Eagles defeated Jamaica in a dramatic final at the GTech Community Stadium, winning 5-4 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in regular time. It was Nigeria’s second Unity Cup title — the first came in 2004, when they also beat Jamaica 2-0 in the inaugural edition held in Charlton.
Saturday’s win marked Chelle’s first trophy as coach of the Super Eagles, and he’s already setting his sights on more silverware, especially with the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) just months away in Morocco.
“This is my first trophy as a coach. I won many trophies during my playing days, and now I want to bring more to Nigeria as a coach,” Chelle said.
The Unity Cup gave Chelle a chance to test a mix of home-based and foreign-based players, as the team continues its push to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Canada, and Mexico.
“We have a big goal in September, so this tournament was a great opportunity to see different players in action. I’m proud of the team. In just two or three training sessions, they gave their best,” he said.
“During this tournament, we scored goals, created chances, and played some good football. But there’s still work to do. For example, we made 22 mistakes in today’s game — that’s too many. We need to improve if we want to qualify for the World Cup.”
Next up for the Super Eagles is an international friendly against Russia on Friday. After that, they’ll resume their World Cup qualifiers in September, facing Rwanda at home and South Africa away.
With just four games left in the qualifying series, Nigeria must win all their remaining matches to keep their hopes alive. They currently sit fourth in Group C with seven points, six behind group leaders South Africa. Their last two games are against Lesotho (away) and Benin Republic (home) in October.
