What Eric Chelle said after Super Eagles six-goal thriller against Russia

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has praised Nigeria’s young players after they helped the team secure a dramatic 3–3 draw against Russia in Tuesday’s international friendly.

The Nigerian side featured several players aged 23 and under, with Chelle impressed by their performances against the European side.

According to the coach, the young players showed that they are ready to compete at senior international level.

Chelle was particularly pleased with the way the youngsters responded to the demands of the match and believes their performance has strengthened their case for future involvement with the Super Eagles.

"We're trying to prepare for the African Cup of Nations and the Olympic Games," Eric Chelle said at the post-match press conference.

"We had trouble getting all the players ready for the team. Today, we had players from the U-23 team, and they proved they're ready for the senior team."

The friendly provided an important opportunity for several less-experienced players to make their mark after a number of established Super Eagles players were unavailable for the fixture.

Nigeria eventually fought back after falling behind, earning a draw in an entertaining six-goal contest.

For Chelle, the performances of the young players were one of the major positives to emerge from the encounter.

The result also gave the coach an opportunity to assess players who could become part of the Super Eagles setup going forward.

Chelle’s assessment will be encouraging for the youngsters involved, particularly as they look to establish themselves at senior international level.

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