Nigeria’s Head Coach Eric Chelle says his team is prepared to retain the Unity Cup Tournament trophy in Saturday’s final in London no matter which circumstances present themselves on the day.
The Super Eagles and the Reggae Boyz won their semi final encounters against Zimbabwe and India respectively by two unreplied goals, and face off for the third time in the history of the Afro-Caribbean mini-tournament that celebrates football, music and culture in the British capital.
Last year, Moses Simon gave Nigeria an early lead, with the Reggae Boyz replying almost immediately through Kaheim Dixon. Early in the second half, Nigeria regained their lead at the Brentford Stadium through Samuel Chukwueze, but the Boyz found the leveller again, through Jon Russell.
The three-time African champions netted their five penalty kicks while Dwayne Atkinson blew his kick above goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali’s sticks.
Though Simon and Chukwueze are not at this year’s tournament, Nigeria showed class with a largely new group on Tuesday, outclassing Zimbabwe’s Warriors with a brace from debutant Femi Azeez. The following day, Kaheim Dixon scored the second for the Boyz against India, after Courtney Clarke had put them ahead.
Asked whether his team is prepared to go through the penalty shootout ritual again – having won last year’s tournament through that route and being subjected to the lottery in the semi-final and third-place match at the last Africa Cup of Nations finals – Chelle said: “Penalties are part of the game, and it can decide who wins a match. Every time I go into a game, I have the mentality to win.
“This is the culture I have put in these boys – the winning culture. I don’t know if Saturday’s game will end in penalties; what I know is that I have prepared my team to win. These are very young players with a bright future and they are hungry for success at any level. So, on Saturday, we will see how the game is decided, but we surely have prepared to win and defend the Unity Cup.”
Morocco 2026: Flamingos will not under-rate Guinea – Busari
Nigeria’s U17 girls, the Flamingos, will look to complete the job against Guinea on Sunday when both sides clash in the second leg of their FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup qualifying fixture at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne-Remo.
The Flamingos head into the encounter with one foot firmly in the next and final round of the qualifying campaign following an emphatic 5-0 victory in the first leg played in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. It was a performance filled with confidence, attacking quality, and tactical discipline.
Since returning from Côte d’Ivoire, preparations have continued in Ikenne-Remo with the technical crew maintaining the intensity in training sessions despite the comfortable first-leg advantage. Head Coach Akeem Busari admitted that managing the mentality of the players after such a dominant first-leg result remains one of the biggest tasks for his coaching crew. According to Busari, overconfidence can naturally set in after a heavy victory, but the emphasis in camp has been on maintaining discipline and continuing the team’s development process.
The coach compared the situation to preparing for examinations, insisting that success only comes through continuous work and repetition. He also stressed that Guinea remain a dangerous side capable of responding strongly, adding that the Flamingos still have a responsibility to deliver another impressive performance in front of their home supporters.
“It happens in football because at the time when you are above a team in terms of goal-scoring and equally in performance, complacency will really set in as a human. I see Guinea as a team that can still want to fight back. On our side, we still need to give more because we are playing at home. Our fans want to see the beauty of the game, we want to showcase what we have, we want to win excellently.”
Sunday’s encounter presents the Flamingos another opportunity to underline their credentials as one of Africa’s rising forces in women’s football. With qualification for the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco edging closer, the team will be eager to produce another commanding display and continue building momentum under Busari’s leadership.
