Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has explained how he changed his team’s formation to overcome Madagascar’s compact defence in Nigeria’s 2-1 comeback win in their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying opener on Friday.
Nigeria fell behind after Ehsan Kari put Madagascar ahead in the 15th minute at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium, Uyo.
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George Ilenikhena levelled in first-half stoppage time before fellow debutant Moses Usor completed the comeback in the 65th minute.
Chelle said Madagascar’s decision to sit deep made it difficult for Nigeria to penetrate through the middle, forcing him to alter his tactical approach.
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From diamond to 4-2-3-1
According to the coach, Nigeria initially lined up in a diamond formation but struggled to find spaces against Madagascar’s low block.
“In the first half, we started with a diamond. I don’t know if you saw it. We started the game like that, and like I said, they put a low block; they were very compact inside, so it was difficult to bring the game inside,” Chelle said during his post-match press conference.
He explained that Nigeria initially tried to deal with the situation by shooting from distance before switching to a 4-2-3-1 formation to exploit the wider areas.
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“So, we started with shots to manage that situation, and this is why, at the end of the half, you saw him on the line. After that, we passed into a 4-2-3-1 because when you play against a low block, you have to pass by the side, by the side, to make some crosses. This is why we changed the system.”
The change eventually helped Nigeria create more opportunities, with Ilenikhena restoring parity before Usor struck after the break.
Chelle admits room for improvement
Despite securing the three points, Chelle was not entirely satisfied with Nigeria’s performance.
“This game was not bad, but not good either. We made the first mistake, and that is why we conceded a goal,” he said.
“After that, we had a lot of chances to score, but technically we were not very good. This is why we had to chase the score and try to come back.”
The coach, however, praised the players for their response after going behind.
“But at the end, the state of mind was good. The state of mind was good; they gave everything for the jersey and the country.”
Guinea-Bissau next
Nigeria will now turn their attention to Guinea-Bissau, where they will play their second Group L qualifying match on Tuesday.
READ ALSO: AFCON Qualifiers: Debutants Ilenikhena, Usor fire Super Eagles past Madagascar
Chelle said the Super Eagles must quickly move on from the Madagascar victory and prepare for a different opponent.
“I’m happy because they found the solution. It was not easy. So now we have to forget this game and analyse what we did, and after that, we have a second game in Guinea-Bissau.
“This is not the same team. They have their strengths, their weaknesses. So I have to think about what we will do in Guinea-Bissau. I cannot tell you whether we will play with that system or not. We have to go first with our state of mind, and after that, we will play that game.”
Nigeria’s victory gives Chelle’s side an important start to the qualifying campaign, but the coach will now have to find another tactical solution against a Guinea-Bissau side he expects to pose a different challenge.
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