Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has praised his players for their resilience and determination following Nigeria’s 2-1 comeback victory over Madagascar in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match.
Nigeria recovered from an early setback to defeat the Barea at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday night.
Madagascar took a surprise lead in the 16th minute when Kari Eshan headed home a cross from the left, leaving the home side chasing an equaliser.
George Ilenikhena, who was making his Super Eagles debut, restored parity in the 45th minute after receiving an excellent pass from Alex Iwobi.
Moses Usor completed Nigeria’s comeback in the 65th minute, dribbling past two defenders before finding the back of the net to secure all three points.
Speaking after the match, Chelle acknowledged his team’s early defensive mistake and admitted that anxiety affected their finishing despite creating several scoring opportunities.
“We made a mistake and conceded. After that, we had chances to score, but we were too anxious and couldn’t convert them,” Chelle said during his post-match interaction with the media.
“But in the end, we were able to come back and win the game. That was very important.
“The state of mind was good. They gave everything for the jersey and for the country. I was very happy because Victor was here too.”
The victory gives Nigeria a winning start to their AFCON qualifying campaign.
The Super Eagles will now turn their attention to Tuesday’s encounter against Guinea-Bissau as they seek to build on their opening victory.
