We don’t need to be scared of Zimbabwe’ – Chelle urges Super Eagles

Nigeria’s head coach, Eric Chelle, has called on his players to be confident and not intimidated by Zimbabwe ahead of their upcoming Unity Cup semi-final, despite a frustrating previous encounter between the two nations.

The Super Eagles are scheduled to face the Warriors in London as part of the 2026 Unity Cup.

Chelle views it as a crucial step in his rebuilding efforts for future competitions, including the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Nigeria enters the four-team tournament, which also features Jamaica and India and runs from May 26 to May 30, as the defending champions.

Chelle speaks on facing Zimbabwe
Reflecting on Nigeria’s last match against Zimbabwe, Chelle insisted that the scoreline did not tell the full story of his team’s performance.

“We couldn’t beat Zimbabwe in Uyo, but if you watch the game again, you will see that we played 1-1, but the reality is that we had ten to fifteen chances to score a goal,” Chelle said.

“Of course, Zimbabwe is a good team, but we don’t need to be scared of this team,” he concluded.

While acknowledging Zimbabwe’s competitiveness, the Franco-Malian coach stressed that Nigeria should concentrate on its own strengths and execution rather than dwelling on the opposition.

“We come with our strengths and weaknesses, just like this team, and it will be a great game,” he added.

“We cannot predict the outcome of the game. We want to have a great game first. I am just focused on the players because this is the most important thing.