Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has earned praise from Roberto Martinez ahead of their international friendly clash.
Portugal national team manager Roberto Martínez has praised Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle’s tactical system, as he expects a competitive international friendly when the two nations clash at the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria on Wednesday, June 10.
What Roberto Martinez said
Martínez highlighted Nigeria’s recent 2-2 draw against Poland as a clear indicator of the team’s impressive adaptability under Chelle.
“I expect the Nigerian team very competitive. I enjoyed their last friendly against Poland; I love the ideas of the coach; flexible as a team using the different system he used, fix different players in different positions,” Martínez stated during his pre-match press conference.
Expressing respect for the squad’s depth and individual profiles, the Spanish manager added: “I can see that players like Osimhen and Lookman are not here; they introduce other players who have a high level of performance. I expect a very competitive game, quality players with a lot of experience. Bassey, Iwobi, players I know very well.”
Super Eagles to prepare Portugal for Congo test
The friendly serves as Portugal’s final warm-up match before they depart for the 2026 World Cup in North America; hence, Martínez is expected to field a full-strength side to iron out the remaining wrinkles in his squad planning.
In contrast, Nigeria are set to miss the tournament, having failed to qualify for a second consecutive edition, but enter the fixture in impressive form, riding a 12-game unbeaten streak under Chelle.
During their outing in Wrocław, a second-string Nigerian side missing talismanic stars like Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, and Alex Iwobi stood on the verge of victory after goals from Terem Moffi and Paul Onuachu before Poland dramatically salvaged a 2-2 tie with a 90+4′ equaliser from Przemysław Wiśniewski.
This game against Nigeria will be the Seleção’s final fixture before launching their World Cup campaign in Group K, where they are scheduled to open their account against the DR Congo—who qualified in the Super Eagles’ stead—on June 17, before subsequently facing Uzbekistan and Colombia.