Head Coach of the Super Eagles, Eric Chelle, has expressed confidence ahead of Nigeria’s Unity Cup final clash against Jamaica in London, insisting his team is fully prepared to retain the trophy and continue building a winning mentality under his leadership.
Key Highlights:
- Eric Chelle confident Super Eagles will defeat Jamaica in Unity Cup final
- Nigeria and Jamaica reached final after 2-0 semi-final victories
- Debutant Femi Azeez scored twice against Zimbabwe
- Chelle says winning mentality is now part of Super Eagles culture
- Jamaica seeking revenge after last year’s penalty shootout defeat
- Flamingos close to FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualification
Nigeria and Jamaica secured their places in Saturday’s Unity Cup final after recording convincing 2-0 victories over Zimbabwe and India respectively in the semi-finals.
The final will mark the third meeting between the Super Eagles and the Reggae Boyz in the Afro-Caribbean tournament, which celebrates football, music, and culture in London.
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The two nations produced a thrilling encounter in last year’s competition. Moses Simon handed Nigeria an early lead before Kaheim Dixon equalised for Jamaica. Samuel Chukwueze restored Nigeria’s advantage in the second half, but Jon Russell drew Jamaica level once again.
The match eventually went to penalties, where Nigeria converted all five spot kicks. Jamaica’s Dwayne Atkinson missed the decisive penalty after firing over the crossbar beyond goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.
Although Simon and Chukwueze are absent from this year’s Unity Cup tournament, the Super Eagles impressed in Tuesday’s semi-final victory over Zimbabwe, with debutant Femi Azeez scoring twice in a dominant performance.
Jamaica also looked dangerous in their win over India, as Kaheim Dixon added a second goal after Courtney Clarke opened the scoring.
Speaking ahead of the final, Chelle admitted that penalty shootouts remain a major part of modern football but stressed that his primary focus is securing victory within regulation time.
“Penalties are part of the game, and it can decide who wins a match. Every time I go into a game, I have the mentality to win,” Chelle said.
“This is the culture I have put in these boys, the winning culture. I don’t know if Saturday’s game will end in penalties; what I know is that I have prepared my team to win. These are very young players with a bright future and they are hungry for success at any level.”
The Super Eagles coach added that the team remains determined to defend the Unity Cup title and sustain positive momentum under his management.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s U-17 women’s national team, the Flamingos, are preparing for the second leg of their FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup qualifier against Guinea at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo on Sunday.
The Flamingos hold a commanding advantage after defeating Guinea 5-0 in the first leg played in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The result placed Nigeria in a strong position to reach the final qualifying round for the tournament in Morocco.
Despite the comfortable lead, Flamingos Head Coach Akeem Busari said his technical crew has focused on preventing complacency within the squad as preparations continue in Ikenne-Remo.
Busari compared football preparation to studying for examinations, stressing that success comes through discipline, repetition, and hard work. He also warned against underestimating Guinea ahead of the return leg.
“It happens in football because at the time when you are above a team in terms of goal-scoring and equally in performance, complacency will really set in as a human. I see Guinea as a team that can still fight back,” Busari said.
“On our side, we still need to give more because we are playing at home. Our fans want to see the beauty of the game, we want to showcase what we have, we want to win excellently.”
The Flamingos will now look to complete the task in front of their home supporters as they move closer to qualification for the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
