Chelle eyes Portugal, Poland scalps in friendlies

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle issued a strong rallying cry ahead of Nigeria's June friendlies against Poland and Portugal. He declared his team will travel to Europe with the sole intention of winning, not merely participating, even without key players like Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.

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No, we go definitely to make a fight, to make a war. If we win, we win. If we lose, we lose. But if we lose, they have to work on us. They have to beat us, beat us to win these two games.

Chelle, who previously led the Super Eagles to Unity Cup glory, emphasized his aggressive approach. "No, we go definitely to make a fight, to make a war," he told NFF media. "If we win, we win. If we lose, we lose. But if we lose, they have to work on us. They have to beat us, beat us to win these two games."

Acknowledging the strength of his opponents, Chelle described Poland as a "good team" and Portugal, featuring stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes, as "maybe the best team in the world." Despite these formidable challenges and the absence of crucial players, Chelle reiterated his ambition to defeat them in their home countries, seeing it as a potential consolation for Nigeria's failure to qualify for the World Cup.

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Portugal are maybe the best team in the world, so this is a great challenge for us.

The Nigerian squad is currently on a 19-game unbeaten run under Chelle, with 18 players arriving in Poland for the upcoming match. Key players like captain Wilfred Ndidi and stars Moses Simon and Akor Adams have joined the team in Warsaw. The team has scored 37 goals and conceded 14 during this unbeaten streak, which also included a third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. These friendlies against European powerhouses represent a significant test of their progress.

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I want to go in their country, in their own country, to beat them. Because I’m sad I don’t go to the World Cup, maybe it will be something very good for me.