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 unanswered goals, and will face off for the third time in the history of the Afro-Caribbean mini-tournament, which 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.
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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.
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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.
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“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.”
