Former West Brom forward applauds Chelle's decision to play with two strikers but calls for more urgency

Former West Brom forward Brown Ideye has praised the tactical decision of Super Eagles manager Eric Chelle to deploy two natural strikers in the 2026 Fifa World Cup qualifier against Lesotho last Friday, allnigeriasoccer.com reports. 

Among the six nations in Group C, Nigeria remain the only team to have scored in every match of the qualifying campaign.

However, they currently possess only the third-best attacking record, with 11 goals in nine games, behind Benin’s Cheetahs and South Africa's Bafana Bafana, who have both netted 12 times.

With goal difference expected to play a crucial role in determining both group standings and the ranking of the top four runners-up, Ideye urged the Super Eagles to show greater urgency and consistency in front of goal.

Chelle fielded Victor Osimhen and Tolu Arokodare as a front pair against Lesotho, while Akor Adams was handed his debut in the second half. 

After taking the lead through William Troost-Ekong’s 55th minute goal from the spot, the Super Eagles appeared to lose focus in their celebrations until Osimhen hurried his teammates back to restart the match.

Speaking on SuperSport’s Naija Made, Ideye expressed satisfaction with the team’s improved attacking intent but emphasized the need for more goals. 

He said he was impressed to see the team find the net twice after recent struggles in front of goal, adding that with the quality of players available, the Super Eagles should be scoring more freely.

He urged the players to ‘run back and keep pushing for more goals' after scoring, noting that goal difference could ultimately determine World Cup qualification.

Ideye, who has long called for a shift in Nigeria's tactical setup, said he was pleased to see Chelle opt for a 4-4-2 formation. 

According to him, Osimhen often found himself isolated in previous games, forced to shoulder the attacking burden alone.

He stressed that the Galatasaray star cannot do it alone and needed a partner capable of linking up and sharing the workload in attack. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel

Copyright ANS
All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from allnigeriasoccer.com