Nigeria head coach Éric Chelle has praised his players for their determination after the Super Eagles recovered from an early deficit to beat Madagascar 2-1 in their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match.
The Barea took the lead in the 16th minute at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo on Friday, but Nigeria responded with two goals to complete the comeback and begin their qualifying campaign with victory.
Chelle said he was pleased with the mentality shown by his players after they fell behind and struggled to take some of their opportunities.
“We made a mistake and conceded. After that, we had chances to score, but we were too anxious and couldn’t convert them,” Chelle said during his post-match interaction with the media.
Madagascar’s early goal came when Kari Eshan rose to meet a cross from the left and headed the ball past Nigeria’s defence to put the visitors ahead.
The Super Eagles had opportunities to respond but were unable to convert them until the closing stages of the first half.
Nigeria eventually found their equaliser in stoppage time before the interval through George Ilenikhena.
Ilenikhena, making his first appearance for the Super Eagles, received a pass from Alex Iwobi before finding the net to ensure the two sides went into half-time level.
Nigeria then completed the turnaround in the second half through Moses Usor.
The forward produced an individual piece of skill in the 65th minute, going past two Madagascar defenders before sending his shot into the net to give the hosts a 2-1 lead.
Chelle said the ability to recover from conceding the opening goal was particularly important for his team.
“But in the end, we were able to come back and win the game. That was very important.
“The state of mind was good. They gave everything for the jersey and for the country. I was very happy because Victor was here too.
“I was happy because it means this group is trying to go forward and do something great.”
The Nigeria coach also acknowledged the difficulty posed by Madagascar’s approach during the match.
The Barea adopted a low defensive block, which made it harder for the Super Eagles to create openings and convert their chances.
Nigeria also had to rely on goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali during an important moment in the game. Chelle highlighted a one-on-one save by Nwabali as a significant contribution to the victory.
“Stanley Nwabali did well by making a good save in the one-on-one situation. It was an important save at that point in the game,” Chelle said.
The result means Nigeria successfully began their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign despite the setback of conceding first.
Madagascar’s early advantage had threatened to make the opening fixture difficult for the hosts, but Ilenikhena’s late first-half equaliser changed the momentum before Usor’s goal completed the turnaround.
Chelle’s comments after the match focused on the response of his squad, particularly their willingness to continue pushing forward after falling behind and missing opportunities.
For Nigeria, the 2-1 victory provides a winning start to the qualifying campaign. The Super Eagles overcame Madagascar’s early lead and defensive approach to secure all three points in Uyo.
The performance also gave Chelle an early opportunity to assess the character of his players in a competitive match, with Nigeria ultimately producing the goals required to turn a difficult start into victory.
