‘We need to make things tough for them’ - Chelle calls on Nigerians to scare Benin in Uyo

The Super Eagles head coach led his team to a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Lesotho in Polokwane on Friday. 

Nigeria had to work hard for their win, with captain William Troost-Ekong opening the scoring from the penalty spot before debutant Akor Adams added a second. 

Although Lesotho managed to score a late goal, the 2013 AFCON champions held on for the vital win.

Chelle highlighted the immense pressure his players have been under throughout the qualifying campaign.

"Today, we are happy because we won the three points. We’re still alive," Chelle stated after the match against Lesotho's.

"I’m happy for my players—I want to congratulate them. We feel the pressure, and since March, every time my players come into camp, they feel it too. 

“For Nigeria, for our team, we need to travel, we need to go to the World Cup, so there’s a lot of pressure. This is not an excuse; it’s just the reality."

Looking ahead to the decisive clash with Benin, Chelle emphasised the importance of home advantage and urged the fans to play their part.

"Maybe now, other teams will take some of that pressure too, and I’m happy about that—very happy. Because playing a game without anything at stake is not the same football," he added.

"We need our fans behind us to put a lot of pressure on Benin Republic. We’re in Africa, so we need to make things tough for them. This is the World Cup qualifiers—the game starts when they put their feet in our country. We need to do the job on the pitch."

The Super Eagles remain in third place in Group C with 14 points, trailing South Africa by one point and group leaders Benin by three.