Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has acknowledged his team must improve their concentration in the closing stages of matches, but insists Nigeria fully deserved their 3–2 victory over Tunisia on Saturday night.

Nigeria surged into a commanding three-goal lead through strikes from Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi, and Ademola Lookman, putting the Super Eagles firmly in control of the contest. However, a late rally from the Carthage Eagles sparked by goals from Montassar Talbi and Ali Elabdi briefly threatened to derail the win before Nigeria held on to secure qualification for the knockout stages.

“During this game, we were good for 75 minutes,” Chelle said during his post-match press conference. “We scored three goals, but maybe we lost concentration on the corner kick. After that, they put us under high pressure, and there was a penalty. You can say what you want, but the reality is that we deserved this victory.”

The Franco-Malian coach pointed to Nigeria’s dominance for much of the encounter, highlighting their control of possession and overall superiority. “At half-time, we had about 70 per cent of the ball, and until the 75th minute, we were the best team on the pitch,” he added.

While pleased with the overall performance, Chelle admitted there is still room for improvement, particularly in game management late on. “I am very proud and happy for my players. However, we have to improve in the last 15 minutes,” he said. “You cannot press with high intensity for 90 minutes it is impossible.”

Chelle concluded by stressing the balance he hopes to achieve going forward. “My dream is for my team to do that, but it is not realistic. Seventy-five minutes was very good, but we must learn how to manage and win games better in the final 15 minutes.”