Eric Chelle has made his intentions crystal clear: Nigeria are not flying to Warsaw to make up the numbers. The Super Eagles coach wants a win against Poland on Wednesday, and says the mentality of victory is exactly what he is building in this team.
Eric Chelle has no interest in treating Wednesday’s friendly against Poland as a gentle warm-up exercise. Speaking ahead of the fixture at the 58,000-capacity PGE Narodowy in Warsaw, the Super Eagles head coach said his side would be going for the win, not just a workout. “Now, we have a team and we are preparing to go out there and win. Winning is the mentality that we are trying to create in the team, in the players. We will go for a win on Wednesday,” Chelle told the NFF media.
The message is consistent with the tone Chelle has set throughout this June window. He described the upcoming Poland and Portugal tests as a full-on battle, telling reporters before the squad departed for Poland: “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.” It’s a no apologies mindset, and the results so far have backed it up.
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An Unbeaten Run Built on Results, Not Rhetoric
Since Chelle took charge of the Super Eagles, Nigeria have gone 19 games without a defeat, scoring 37 goals and conceding 14 across that stretch. The most recent addition to that run was a commanding 3-0 win over Jamaica in the Unity Cup final in London, with Alhassan Yusuf scoring twice and Terem Moffi adding the third. It was exactly the kind of dominant performance Chelle will want to replicate at the PGE Narodowy.
The Poland game is only the second senior meeting between the two countries. Nigeria won the first encounter 1-0 in Wroclaw on March 23, 2018, when Victor Moses converted from the penalty spot in the second half of a pre-World Cup friendly. Chelle’s side will be looking to make it two wins from two, doing so this time on Polish soil with their full complement of stars rather than the fringe squad that impressed at the Unity Cup.
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Big Names in Camp, Key Absentees Noted
Eighteen players arrived in Warsaw by Monday with 16 taking part in the first full training session, led by captain Wilfred Ndidi. The squad includes Premier League presences like Frank Onyeka and Semi Ajayi, alongside Ligue 1 regulars Moses Simon and Terem Moffi. Raphael Onyedika, Paul Onuachu, Akor Adams, and Alex Iwobi are also in the group, giving Chelle considerably more firepower than he had available for the Unity Cup.
The notable absences remain Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, both of whom did not travel to Poland. Alhassan Yusuf, who had been named in the original squad, could not secure a visa in time. His absence leaves a gap in midfield, though Chelle has sufficient options with Onyedika, Onyeka, and Frank on the books. Late call-ups Abdullahi Bewene and KRC Genk’s Christian Akpan were set to arrive in Warsaw on the evening of June 1 to bolster the group ahead of the game.
Poland come into this fixture stinging from their failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, losing 3-2 to Sweden in the European playoff final after earlier eliminating Albania. For Chelle’s squad, that context makes a statement result even more meaningful. Fans placing their predictions before kick-off can check the Bet9ja sports registration page to get set up before the first whistle.
Poland and Portugal: A European Yardstick
Wednesday’s game is the first of two European friendlies in this window, with a trip to face Portugal in Leiria following on June 10 at the Estadio Dr Magalhaes Pessoa. Robert Lewandowski’s Poland and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal represent the highest level of European opposition the Super Eagles have faced under Chelle, and the coach has framed both as genuine opportunities rather than obligations to fulfil.
Nigeria’s attack has scored at least twice in each of their last four friendly matches. If that form carries into Warsaw, Chelle’s call for a win looks less like bravado and more like a realistic expectation from a squad that is building something meaningful.
📌 Did You Know?
- The PGE Narodowy in Warsaw, where Nigeria will face Poland on Wednesday, is the largest stadium in Poland with a capacity of 58,145. It opened in 2012 and was built specifically for the UEFA Euro 2012 tournament, which Poland co-hosted with Ukraine.
- Poland narrowly missed out on qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, losing 3-2 to Sweden in the European playoff final. They had earlier beaten Albania in the playoff semi-final to keep their qualification hopes alive before Sweden ended the run.
- Victor Moses, who scored Nigeria’s winner in the only previous meeting between Nigeria and Poland in 2018, retired from international football in 2022. His penalty in Wroclaw remains the defining moment of that historic fixture and the sole goal separating the two sides in their entire head-to-head history.
- Eric Chelle, born in France to Malian parents, became the Super Eagles head coach in January 2025. He previously managed the Mali national team before taking the Nigeria job, making him one of the few coaches in African football to have led two different senior national sides within the same continental window.
- Femi Azeez, who scored twice against Zimbabwe in the Unity Cup semi-final and provided an assist in the final against Jamaica, emerged as one of the standout performers of the tournament. His performances in London strengthened his case for a regular spot in Chelle’s first-choice squad heading into the Poland and Portugal games.
- Nigeria’s June 2026 European double header sees the Super Eagles face two nations with a combined 17 FIFA World Cup appearances between them. Poland have appeared at the World Cup nine times, while Portugal have featured eight times, including Cristiano Ronaldo’s record breaking 2022 and 2026 campaigns.
- The Unity Cup, which Nigeria successfully defended in May 2026 by beating Jamaica 3-0 in the final in London, is an invitational tournament played during international windows. Nigeria have now won the tournament multiple times, cementing their status as the dominant force in the competition’s short history.
