Chelle says a tweak up front turned a 3-1 deficit into a 3-3 draw in Nizhny Novgorod, and some of his debutants may now be on the November list.
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Chelle explains the switch
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle says a tactical change in attack is what rescued a 3-3 draw against Russia on Tuesday. Kelechi Iheanacho gave Nigeria the lead on 10 minutes, but Russia hit back to go 3-1 up. FootballInNigeria.com.ng reports that Peter Edokpolor and Akor Adams then scored the goals that levelled it.
Chelle said Russia held the momentum at the end of the first half and the start of the second. “We found a solution because tactically we changed something about our strikers,” he said. Russia could not find an answer, and Nigeria scored two goals in transition.
He had sent on Adams and Abdullahi Umar at the break, then added Edokpolor and Umar Abubakar with about 20 minutes left. Chelle said the team’s state of mind was very good and that he is proud of the group.
Two targets, one squad
Chelle said the squad was shaped by two objectives, the 2027 AFCON and the Olympic Games. Several first-team players were missing because their clubs refused to release them.
So he travelled with players he plans to use at under-23 level. Judging by what he saw, some of them could be in the senior squad in the next FIFA window.
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November is the real test
The Russia match was a friendly, but the stakes in Group L are real. Nigeria sit second on three points, three behind leaders Guinea-Bissau, after a 3-0 defeat in Bissau on September 29. Only one team qualifies from the group, because co-hosts Tanzania are already through.
Nigeria host Tanzania in Uyo on November 13 and travel to Dar es Salaam on November 17. The Bissau loss was Chelle’s first competitive defeat in regulation time since he took charge. “We have two games against Tanzania in November, we have to win both games,” he said afterwards.
Will Edokpolor and Umar Abubakar get a chance to help? Chelle has hinted they might. Fans eyeing the qualifiers can also read how to claim your Bet9ja bonus before the next window opens.
What Chelle learned in Russia
Two goals in transition suggest the new look up front can stretch tired defences. Whether it works against a compact side in Uyo is another matter.
The other side of the ledger is the defence. Russia scored three times, and Nigeria had also conceded three in Bissau a week earlier. Chelle will want that fixed before Tanzania.
Readers who want to understand bonus offers before the qualifiers can read how to convert your Bet9ja bonus.
For now, Chelle has a result, a few promising debutants and five weeks to think. November will show whether the Russia night was a blueprint or a one-off.
📌 Did You Know?
- Guinea-Bissau, ranked 132nd, beat 26th-ranked Nigeria in Bissau on September 29.
- Moses Usor scored on his debut in Nigeria’s 2-1 win over Madagascar in Uyo, four days before the Bissau defeat.
- Tanzania are co-hosting AFCON 2027 with Kenya and Uganda, which is why they have already qualified.
- Madagascar and Tanzania have one point each in Group L after a 1-1 draw in Meknes, Morocco.
- Chelle said after Bissau that Nigeria stopped following their second-half plan after about 10 minutes.
- Nigeria’s reverse fixture against Guinea-Bissau is set for March 28, 2027.
