Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, has provided a candid evaluation of Nigeria’s 1-1 draw against Russia at the Luzhniki Stadium on Friday night. The Malian coach recognized that his team had difficulty asserting themselves in the early stages but showed considerable improvement after halftime.
According to the report from soccernet, it is claimed that in his post-match comments, Chelle acknowledged that the first half was dominated by the hosts, who effectively exploited Nigeria’s disorganized pressing and lack of unity. “It was not an easy game,” Chelle stated. “We faced a very strong team. Russia possesses a robust squad with significant pressure and technical prowess.”
The Franco-Malian coach highlighted that the Super Eagles were unable to implement their pressing strategy in the first half, which allowed Russia to control the game and take the lead due to a defensive mistake. “We did not perform well in the first half,” he remarked. “We failed to apply our pressing game effectively.
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Russia capitalized on their opportunities in the first half, and they converted. We had our chances, but the goalkeeper made a save.” Chelle, however, commended his team’s response in the second half, which resulted in them equalizing through substitute Tolu Arokodare, who took advantage of a poor pass from the Russian goalkeeper to net his first international goal.
“In the second half, we improved,” he observed. “Our pressing was more effective, which made a significant difference. Russia had two opportunities, we had one or two, and we managed to score.” Considering the larger context, Chelle indicated that squad rotation and the players’ unfamiliarity with each other contributed to the team’s tactical inconsistencies.
“We made numerous changes to the squad, and our typical pressing game was somewhat challenging because the new players are still in the process of fully grasping our playing style,” he clarified. “We need to continue working on our playing pattern and strive to achieve the right balance.” Looking forward, Chelle stressed the necessity of refining the team’s style as they prepare for the forthcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
“Now we’re discussing the future.
