Julius OkorieAs lamentations over Super Eagles below par performance against Zimbabwe on Tuesday in Uyo continues, Coach of the Zimbabwean team, Michael Nees, says the Warriors resilience determined the game.
Nees, who stopped short of counting his blessings following the unexpected draw against the Super Eagles, added that the Warriors would have in fact clinched victory if the game had lasted longer than it did.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelSpeaking after the game, Nees said that his side’s refusal to give up after Victor Osimhen’s goal was decisive.
Two things according to him played out against hot favourites Super Eagles on the night, the team’s confidence especially after victory away against Rwanda and defence that showed signs of exhaustion towards the end of the game.
“Nigeria came into the game full of confidence after their win against Rwanda, and we knew that the longer the game went on, the slower they would become—and that is exactly what happened,” stated the German.
“We showed that we don’t give up, and I think with three more minutes, we would have come away with a win because, in defence, your team was physically exhausted.
“We showed that we can play football; we didn’t just park the bus. Nigeria started aggressively and wanted to end the game quickly, but it didn’t work out. We resisted and showed resilience.”
Super Eagles coach, Eric Chelle, whose dreams of claiming back to back victory crashed with the draw in Uyo, resisted the temptation of blaming any player or department for the poor outing against Warriors. He however admitted that the Eagles made costly mistake even as he added that better understanding of what happened in Uyo can only emerge after a review of the game.
“We made some mistakes; we were the best team on the pitch. This is football. It is difficult for me to analyse the game right now; we will review it later,” Chelle said
The coach also avoided blaming any particular person for the frustrating draw, noting that the whole team is responsible for whatever outcome they get. “I don’t want to blame the defenders,” he stated
READ ALSO:Warriors Cage Super Eagles In Uyo, Share World Cup Points
The result has further boxed the Eagles into a corner in their quest to earn a ticket to the 2026 World Cup.
Only one team is guaranteed an automatic slot from the nine groups in the African qualification series. The four best losers go for play-offs, which is another tough hurdle Nigeria would have loved to avoid. Recall that the Super Eagles failed to make it to the last World Cup in Qatar, after losing in the two-legged play-off against Black Stars of Ghana.
A last minute goal at the Abuja Stadium just as was witnessed in Uyo Tuesday, handed Ghana the ticket leading to fans protests and damage to facilities at the Abuja Stadium.
If the race in the group continues the way it is going, South Africa who currently top the table with 13 points may end up emerging from the group.
Aside from Nigeria, virtually all the known football power houses that clashed on Tuesday emerged victorious at home.
Egypt beat Sierra Leone 1-0 in Cairo; Cameroon disarmed Libya 3-1 in Younde, Senegal beat Togo 2-0 in Dakar, Algeria hammered Mozambique 5-1 in Algiers while Morocco defeated Taifa Stars of Tanzania 2-0 in Rabbat.
Julius Okorie is Chief Sports and Entertainment Correspondent for Prime Business Africa. He began his journalism career with the Champion Newspaper and Sporting Champion and later moved on to Daily Independent and the Nation Newspapers. Okorie joined Prime Business Africa in 2024 bringing on board 20 years of experience in writing investigative news on Sports and Entertainment. His well researched and highly informative articles on Sports Business and general entertainment are followed by a wide range of audience.
