… Blames fatigue for draw
Super Eagles coach, Eric Chelle has said his team deserved to beat Zimbabwe in a must-win 2026 World Cup qualifier, but tired towards the end to allow the visitors to snatch a late draw.
In the 74th minute, Victor Osimhen scored with a diving header for the second game running to give the Super Eagles the lead after so much pressure on the Zimbabwean goal.
However, the Warriors of Zimbabwe battled on to draw level in the closing minutes of the match.
“It was hard for us because we made a great first half with lots of intensity and aggression and so may be the players were a little tired,” he explained at the post-match media briefing.
“This was why may be we needed a second goal. It’s difficult to analyse this match now because we deserved to win it.”
In his post-match comments, Chelle focused on the intensity displayed by his players during the first half, noting that their efforts were commendable but left them vulnerable towards the end of the game.
“I think in the last 10 minutes, it was difficult for us because we had put in a lot of effort in the first half, with lots of intensity and aggression,” Chelle explained.
“The players might have been a little tired, and this led to a lapse in concentration, which cost us the goal.”
“It’s hard for me to analyze the game fully right now because, honestly, I feel we deserved to win,” Chelle stated.
“We created chances, we were aggressive, and we played well in the first half. But we need to learn how to manage the game better when we’re ahead.”
Despite the frustration, Chelle remained focused on the lessons to be learned from the draw.