I’m happy for my players - Super Eagles coach, Eric Chelle praises his team after 4–0 win over Benin Republic

Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle expressed great admiration for his players after their commanding 40 victory over the Benin Republic that sealed the Super Eagles place in the CAF Playoff Tournament for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Speaking after the match, Chelle showered praise on his players for showing great fight to get positive results.Im so proud of my players, he said.They deserved this game because it was not easy with a new coach and a new philosophy to adapt to. So tonight Im just happy for my players. They played a great game two hours ago, and they also played a great game three days ago. The coach also singled Osimhen out for praise for scoring three times to extend his international tally to 29 goals in 44 appearances, putting him on course to overtake Nigerias all-time top scorer, the late Rashidi Yekini. Chelle described the ex-Napoli striker as the best striker in the world, a statement that drew applause from the post-match media room.I love him. He is the best striker in the world. But Im proud of all the players because everybody brought something to this team. Im especially proud of my captain because he scored a great penalty (in the last match). They all gave everything, Chelle said. Nigeria will now face Gabon in the semi-finals of the African section of the 2026 FIFA World Cup play-offs. The play-offs, which will feature the four best runners-up from the nine African qualifying groups, are scheduled to take place in Morocco from November 13 to 16. Both semi-finals will be played on November 13, with the winners meeting three days later in a single-leg final. The overall winner will advance to the inter-confederation play-offs in March 2026 in a bid  to qualify for the World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.  The post Im happy for my players - Super Eagles coach, Eric Chelle praises his team after 40 win over Benin Republic appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.