AFCON 2027 qualifiers: Éric Chelle urges Nigeria to make a strong start

Nigeria head coach Éric Chelle has called on the Super Eagles to begin their 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign with determination as they prepare to face Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau this month.

The three-time African champions will meet Madagascar’s Barea and Guinea-Bissau’s Djurtus in a double-header as they begin their bid to secure a place at the next Africa Cup of Nations.

Chelle says Nigeria cannot afford to approach the opening matches cautiously and wants his players to show their intentions from the first day of the qualifying campaign.

Chelle demands determination from Super Eagles

The Super Eagles boss stressed the importance of collecting points from the start, insisting that his players must maintain their intensity throughout the matches.

“We have to show everyone from Day One that we want it, and the only way to do that is to go for it with our hearts and refuse to slow down at any point.

We must go for the points without any hesitation,” Chelle told theff.com.

Nigeria will be looking to use the qualifying campaign to secure another appearance at the continental tournament, but their first assignment will present a reminder of the challenges they can face in African football.

Madagascar are familiar opponents for the Super Eagles, with the two sides having met five times previously.

Nigeria hold the historical advantage

Nigeria have won three of those meetings, while Madagascar have recorded one victory.

The other encounter ended in a draw.

However, the most recent meeting between the countries produced a result that Nigeria will be keen to avoid repeating.

Madagascar defeated the Super Eagles 2-0 when the teams faced each other in the group stage of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations finals.

That result remains the latest chapter in their head-to-head record and gives the Barea a notable victory to draw confidence from ahead of their latest meeting with Nigeria.

Chelle, meanwhile, wants his players to approach the qualifiers with a clear objective from the outset.

His message is that Nigeria must pursue the available points without hesitation and maintain their effort rather than allowing their intensity to drop.

The Super Eagles will therefore begin their 2027 AFCON qualifying campaign with Chelle demanding an immediate response from his squad.

With Madagascar having already shown that they can trouble Nigeria on the continental stage, the Super Eagles will need to put their previous meetings aside and focus on making the start Chelle has called for.

The coach’s emphasis is clear: Nigeria must approach the qualifiers with commitment from the opening day and remain focused on securing the points needed to move closer to qualification.

Nigeria’s record against Madagascar

Nigeria have the better overall record from their five previous meetings with Madagascar, winning three times compared with one defeat, while the remaining match ended level.

But Madagascar’s 2-0 victory in their most recent encounter means the Barea will enter the latest meeting with a recent success against the Super Eagles to their name.

Chelle will now expect Nigeria to respond when the two sides meet again as the race for a place at the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations gets under way.