Super Eagles Chief Coach
Nwabali
Eric Chelle has singled out goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali for praise following his crucial save that helped Nigeria secure a 2-1 victory over Madagascar in their AFCON qualifier in Uyo on Friday.
The Chippa United goalkeeper produced an excellent stop to deny Madagascar captain Rayan Raveloson in a one-on-one situation at the start of the second half, keeping Nigeria in the contest.
Speaking after the match, Chelle praised Nwabali for making the crucial save and also highlighted the difficulty Nigeria faced against Madagascar’s deep defensive approach throughout the encounter.
“Nwabali did well because they had a chance to score a goal but Nwabali at this moment practically was very good,” Chelle said.
“So, after that we continued to move forward but it was not easy because they put the bus in front of the post. At the end, I am happy because we have a second game in few days and we have continue improving in our game project.”
The Super Eagles manager admitted that the performance was neither bad nor good, noting that Nigeria’s first mistake led to the conceded goal.
“Not bad but not good too. We made the first mistake, that’s why we took a goal,” he added. “After, we had a lot of chances to score a goal but we were technically not very good.”
He was also delighted to have Victor Osimhen with the team, saying his presence showed the group’s determination to move forward and build something new.
