Hours after boosting Nigeria’s chances of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup in North America, Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle admitted that the team had been under “a lot of pressure” even before Friday’s match.
The team secured a 2-1 victory over Lesotho, with a reinforced squad featuring the return of Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen and Saudi Pro League defender William Troost-Ekong of Al-Kholood.
During the post-match press conference, Chelle expressed his delight over the hard-fought win.
He noted that the pressure to deliver top performances had been weighing on the squad since March.
“Today we are happy because we won. We are still alive. I am happy for my players and I want to congratulate them. Perhaps we have felt the pressure since March. Every time my players, whenever we meet, they tell me they feel the pressure, because for Nigeria, we need to travel and we need to go to the World Cup.
“There is a lot of pressure, and this is the reality.
“So now, maybe they will take some hours of cool after this win, and I’m happy for that. Playing in this game is not the same as regular football.
“In the first half, because we were under pressure, technically, sometimes we miss some things, and it is difficult to come on the pitch, because there is a lot of tension, but I am so proud of my guys, and I told them.”
Echoing Chelle’s words, William Troost-Ekong admitted that the clash against Lesotho was indeed a difficult encounter.