Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle and goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali struck a calm tone after the
Super Eagles secured qualification for the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 with a hard-fought
3-2 win over Tunisia in Fez.
Nigeria stormed into a 3-0 lead through Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi and Ademola Lookman,
who also provided two assists, before Tunisia mounted a late rally via Montassar Talbi’s header
and an Ali Abdi penalty.
Chelle praised his side’s dominance for most of the contest, insisting the result was deserved
despite the nervy ending.
“I’m happy with the intensity we showed for 75 minutes,” he said. “We recovered the ball well,
created many chances and deserved this victory.”
Nwabali dismissed concerns about Nigeria’s defence, stressing that conceding goals is part of
tournament football.
“Even the best teams in the world concede goals,” he said. “We want clean sheets, but we keep
going as a team. Set pieces happen. We scored from them and they did too.”
The goalkeeper also praised the squad’s unity and confirmed Nigeria’s focus is now on finishing
the group strongly against Uganda,
Chelle, Nwabali Play Down Late Scare as Nigeria Book AFCON Knockout Spot
