Nigeria’s coach, Eric Chelle, assumed this Monday that Portugal will enter the 2026 World Cup as “one of the great candidates” to win the trophyin a preview marked by praise for the team led by Roberto Martínez. The private meeting between the two teams is scheduled for this Tuesday, at 8:45 pm, at the Dr. Magalhães Pessoa Stadium, in Leiria.
At a press conference, the coach of the “Super Eagles” did not hide his admiration for the quality of the Portuguese team, considering that Portugal has enough arguments to fight for the world title. “We are going to play against a great team, one of the great candidates to win the World Cup”said Chelle, also highlighting the individual quality of the Portuguese players and the challenge it represents to face a team of this size.
The Nigerian coach also highlighted the depth and balance of the corner team, praising the midfielders’ ability on the ball and pointing out Cristiano Ronaldo as an unavoidable reference in world football. Chelle classified the Portuguese captain as “the biggest star in the world”reinforcing the media and competitive weight of the National Team.
When analyzing Portugal’s latest commitments, the Nigeria coach revealed that he had followed the team against Chile, considering that the Portuguese team left very positive signs. Despite regretting the expulsions recorded in that match, the coach was peremptory: Portugal “could be world champion in a month”demonstrating confidence in the potential of the formation led by Roberto Martínez.
Still, Eric Chelle believes that the duel in Leiria could be equally useful for the Portuguese, especially due to the physical and competitive intensity normally associated with African teams. The coach hopes that the meeting will also serve to highlight Nigeria’s recent evolution, assuming the objective of showing improvements against a top opponent.
