Nigeria head coach Éric Chelle spoke to reporters on Sunday ahead of the Super Eagles' Unity Cup semi-final against Zimbabwe, after being asked whether past World Cup qualifying results made the fixture more difficult.
Chelle said his players should approach the game with confidence and focus on their own strengths, while also making clear he respects a Zimbabwe team that has been hard to break down in recent meetings.
The question followed two 1-1 draws between the sides in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. They first met on 19 November 2023 at Huye Stadium in Rwanda, where Zimbabwe opened the scoring before Nigeria equalised. They met again on 25 March 2025 at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium in Uyo, where Victor Osimhen's 74th-minute header was cancelled by a late equaliser from Tawanda Chirewa. Zimbabwe held Nigeria to that 1-1 draw, a result that left Nigeria in a precarious position in Group C.
Nigeria and Zimbabwe meet for a third time in 18 months when they open the 2026 Unity Cup at The Valley on 26 May. The four-nation tournament runs in London from 26 to 30 May and features India, Jamaica, Nigeria and Zimbabwe, with Nigeria entering as defending champions.
The semi-final is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. BST at Charlton Athletic's ground. Chelle has named a 27-man squad for the competition, with early arrivals already training in London ahead of the match.