Super Eagles forward Umar Sadiq has expressed confidence in newly appointed Nigeria coach Eric Chelle, stating that his tactical approach with Mali could benefit the national team.
Sadiq, who plays for Valencia in La Liga, believes Chelle’s methods were evident in Mali’s strong performance at the last Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), where they reached the quarterfinals.
“You can see what he did in the last AFCON. Everyone was thinking that Mali were also among the favourites,” Sadiq told Sporty TV.
“You can see how they played. They were so good but they got knocked out in the quarterfinals because sometimes it is not the best that wins.
“But I can tell you I watched a lot of games of Mali because I have a teammate there. And you can see how they play. You can see the coach (Chelle) has a lot of things.”
The 26-year-old striker believes that if Chelle applies the same style with the Super Eagles, Nigeria could achieve significant success.
“I think with the way he plays, if he brings it to Nigeria, the way he plays in Mali, if he brings the type of play to Nigeria, I think we will go a long way forward,” he added.
Chelle, a former Mali international, was recently appointed to lead the Super Eagles, taking over from Austin Eguavoen who was interim coach following the resignation of Finidi George. His appointment comes as Nigeria prepares for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers and the 2025 AFCON.
Nigeria are in a precarious situation in the World Cup qualifiers, sitting fifth in a six-team group with three points from four games, four behind leaders Rwanda, South Africa and Benin Republic. They play Rwanda in Kigali when the qualifiers resume on March 17 before hosting Zimbabwe in Uyo seven days later.
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