AFCON: ‘I’m under pressure’ – Eric Chelle talks tough ahead of Nigeria vs Mozambique

Super Eagles coach, Eric Chelle, has said he is under pressure to win for Nigeria against Mozambique.

He, however, added that the team is still completely focused on what’s next.

Chelle said he does not want to compare their current situation with Nigeria’s bad performance in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON.

At a press conference before the match, Chelle said the pressure has been ongoing since he started leading the Super Eagles in 2025.

The Malian coach explained that the goal is not based on targets set by the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF, but comes from the team’s own ambition and strong will.

“Since I started this job, I’ve been feeling a lot of pressure. This isn’t about the NFF. It’s about the official, the group, and me,” he said.

“Every game, we want to be ambitious. We are thinking about the next game.”

Chelle said the team stays calm, together, and is ready to win against Mozambique in their next match.

“We want to win the next game. If God gives us the opportunity to reach the quarterfinals, we will focus on the quarterfinals.

“Now we are thinking about the game against Mozambique, and we definitely want to win that game. To answer your question, yeah, we are under pressure,” he said.

Nigeria have already made a strong impression in the group stage, bringing back memories of the 2021 AFCON, where the Super Eagles won all their group matches before facing an unexpected exit in the Round of 16.

Chelle, however, made it clear that past disappointments are not a concern for his team.

“I don’t focus on what happened before. As I’ve mentioned before, we’re always focused on what happens each day,” he added.

“We are concentrating on our training session, on the life of the group, on how the players behave, and on ourselves.”