Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle believes Portugal have all the qualities needed to become the next FIFA World Cup winners.
Appearing at the global football showpiece for the ninth time, Roberto Martinez’s men would be aiming to succeed Argentina as world champions in Mexico, Canada, and the United States.
However, they must negotiate their way past DR Congo, Uzbekistan, and Colombia in Group K, with their first game coming against their African foes in Houston on June 17th.
Addressing the media in Lisbon ahead of the Super Eagles’ international friendly against the Europeans on Wednesday night, the Franco-Malian highlighted the quality in the Portuguese team, noting that they possess some of the finest talents in world football.
“In every department on the field, they are good. In defence, they are strong. Of course, their full-backs are very fast and quick,” said Chelle.
“The midfielders play well with the ball, and they have the biggest star in the world, a striker, and their wingers are so fast.
“The way that this team plays, when they don’t have the ball, when they lose the ball, they try to put some pressure on the opponent. When they have the ball, they try to play deep end. This is a good team, and they have all.
“I watched their game against Chile. I was in the stadium, and it was a good game. The atmosphere was so good, and the game was good. I was a little disappointed after the red card.
“And once again, this team, in one month, can be the next world champion. This is a big chance for us to play against Portugal in their country.”
Nigeria’s last meeting with the Europeans came in November 2022, when the Super Eagles suffered a 4-0 defeat in Lisbon. Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes scored twice as Portugal comfortably outclassed the three-time African champions.
However, for coach Chelle, Wednesday’s encounter is not about seeking revenge but about continuing the team’s development.
“The first thing is that we are playing a big team. So normally this (Portugal) team (can be the next world champions), so this is the big team,” he continued.
“As Wily (Ndidi) said, there are many big players in that team. So, we are very happy to have this chance to play against them.
“My only concern now is that the team stay focused, stick to our philosophy and the way that we want to play this game. This is not a question about the result.
“The most important goal and objective is to improve at every game. We have to come in that game with a great state of mind.”
The Nigerian senior national team, under the former Mali international, have not been beaten by any opposition in 90 minutes.
When asked by Flashscore whether that record adds extra pressure or serves as motivation to keep pushing the team to a higher standard, he added, “No, this is not a question about the result. Once again, you said we are unbeaten, but the reality is that we lost.
“We lost in the AFCON semi-final, and we also lost our World Cup qualification. So, this is not about the result anymore.
“My only motivation now is to focus on how my team can improve in every training session and every match.
“We want to achieve more, and we have important objectives that we need to reach as quickly as possible.
