Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle has expressed confidence in his squad’s ability to defeat Poland despite the absence of star forwards Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman.
Nigeria will take on Poland in an international friendly at the PGE Narodowy Stadium in Warsaw on Wednesday night, with both teams looking to fine-tune preparations ahead of future competitive fixtures.
Osimhen and Lookman are among the notable names missing from the Super Eagles squad for the encounter. However, Chelle believes the players available have enough quality to secure a positive result.
The Super Eagles head into the match in high spirits after lifting the Unity Cup invitational tournament in London last weekend.
Nigeria enjoyed an impressive campaign, winning both matches, scoring five goals and keeping two clean sheets to emerge champions.
Speaking ahead of the clash, Chelle insisted that the focus remains on the collective strength of the team rather than individual stars.
“I made this choice, dictated by personal reasons. But there are a lot of good players. It’s not about one specific player who happens to be missing, but about a group that is ready for a match here and now,” Chelle was quoted by przegladsportowy.onet.
” Everyone knows what is important, everyone knows the game plan, you just have to implement it on the pitch. We are in good mental condition.”
The Franco-Malian tactician also stressed that his players are fully prepared and motivated for the challenge against Poland.
Although Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Chelle revealed that the team has already shifted its attention to the future and is determined to continue building momentum.
“But that’s football, now we must focus on our vision, strength and future. We have an interesting match ahead of us against a good team and we are glad that we are here,” added Chelle.
The friendly against Poland offers another opportunity for Chelle to assess his squad depth and strengthen team chemistry as the Super Eagles continue preparations for upcoming international assignments.
With several key players eager to impress, Nigeria will be hoping to extend the winning momentum from the Unity Cup and deliver another strong performance in Warsaw.
