Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has opened up on his thoughts following Nigeria\u2019s victory over Jamaica in the Unity Cup final at the Gtech Stadium, Soccernet.ng<\/a> reports. <\/strong><\/p>\n The Malian tactician praised several standout performers, detailed his tactical approach, and made clear his ambitions for the team ahead of their upcoming clash against Russia.<\/p>\n Speaking in his post-match conference, as observed by Soccernet.ng<\/a>, Chelle reflected on the significance of the tournament, the team\u2019s mentality, areas that need improvement, and individual player contributions.<\/p>\n \u201cIn the last press conference, I spoke about my initial thoughts on this tournament. To be honest, I wasn\u2019t in full agreement with it at first because it\u2019s the end of the season. It\u2019s difficult to bring in our players \u2014 they\u2019ve had a long, tiring campaign.<\/p>\n But then I thought about it again and said, \u2018Okay, at least I get to be with my players,\u2019 and that made me happy.<\/p>\n The second thing is that we have an important goal in September. So I saw this as an opportunity to give many players a chance to show what they can do. And I\u2019m really happy and proud of them because, in just two or three training sessions, they worked really hard. That\u2019s the reality.<\/p>\n During this tournament, we scored goals, we created chances, and we showed some very good things in our game. But of course, we still need to work. We have weaknesses. In today\u2019s game, for instance, we made 22 mistakes \u2014 that\u2019s a lot.<\/p>\n We need to improve, to step up as a group and as a team, especially if we want to qualify for the World Cup.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cIf you rewatch today\u2019s game, you\u2019ll see we started with a diamond formation. Around the 25th or 30th minute in the first half, we switched to a 4-2-3-1, and later we played a 4-4-2. I think the players stayed focused throughout.<\/p>\n At the end of the day, I believe we deserved to win this tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cRight now, I can say that my players have a great spirit and a strong mindset. That makes me happy. We\u2019ll keep working and thinking about our game project.<\/p>\n The most important thing for me is that we play together \u2014 both in defence and offence. We need to improve all the time, mentally and physically. We must become warriors on the pitch.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201c[Christantus] Uche made a great impact coming on the pitch. I\u2019m very happy with his performance. He deserves to be in the Nigeria team.<\/p>\n The reality is, this team has a lot of good strikers and wingers. It\u2019s difficult to pick because we have many great players.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cBenjamin Frederick was good. He was very calm and composed. Technically, he\u2019s close to perfect \u2014 especially when it comes to touching the ball and making strong passes.<\/p>\n He reads the game well, but of course, there\u2019s room for improvement. We conceded a goal, and maybe he could have done something differently in that situation.<\/p>\n Like I always say about our players \u2014 even when they play well \u2014 we still need to improve every day.<\/p>\n My assistant even joked that I should take credit for his performance because I selected him. But really, it\u2019s just one game \u2014 a big one \u2014 and he needs to keep working hard and improving.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Eric Chelle speaks on Benjamin Frederick\u2019s performance in Super Eagles\u2019 win over Jamaica. #NGAJAM<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/zPYM8ikWCy<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Soccernet.ng (@soccernet_ng) May 31, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cNow we go to Russia, and our goal is to win every game. We\u2019re not just travelling for a match \u2014 we\u2019re going there to win.<\/p>\n Right now, I think we\u2019re still in Jamaica \u2014 mentally, it feels like it because of how tough the game was. But we must now shift focus.<\/p>\n Playing away from home is never easy. That\u2019s why we\u2019re working on the mental side of things. That was my message to the players:<\/p>\n We need to show the football world our mindset, our hunger.<\/p>\n We\u2019re continuing with the same ambition \u2014 to go to Russia, get the win, and return to Abuja with our heads held high.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n FT: Jamaica 2-2 Nigeria (Nigeria win 5-4 on pens) #NGAJAM<\/a><\/p>\n First trophy for coach Eric Chelle with the Super Eagles. \u2705#TheUnityCup<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/rVIbx28nTn<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Soccer](\"https:\/\/soccernet.ng\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/imago1060190780-scaled.jpg\")
Get Our Sports News First \u2013\u00a0Click To Join Our WhatsApp Channel Now!<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
On the timing and purpose of the Unity Cup:<\/h5>\n
\n
![\"Soccer](\"https:\/\/soccernet.ng\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/imago1062620841-scaled.jpg\")
On Nigeria\u2019s tactical setup:<\/h5>\n
\n
On the team\u2019s mindset and character:<\/h5>\n
\n
![\"Soccer](\"https:\/\/soccernet.ng\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/imago1062620838-scaled.jpg\")
On Christantus Uche\u2019s impact:<\/h5>\n
\n
![\"Soccer](\"https:\/\/soccernet.ng\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/imago1061127331-scaled.jpg\")
On Benjamin Frederick\u2019s performance:<\/h5>\n
\n
Watch the video here:<\/h5>\n
\n
On Nigeria\u2019s next match against Russia:<\/h5>\n
\n
\n
![\"Soccer](\"https:\/\/soccernet.ng\/app\/uploads\/2024\/12\/Ayomide-Oguntimehin-pics-150x150.jpg\")
\t\t<\/p>\n