Friendly: Chelle declares Super Eagles ready for Portugal showdown

Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle says the friendly against Portugal is an opportunity for his team to test themselves against one of the best teams in the world.
Wednesday’s encounter is slated for the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria.

It will be Portugal’s last friendly before they travel to Miami for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Portugal have some of the world’s best players in their ranks and will be a tough opposition for the Super Eagles, who are unbeaten in their last six games.

Chelle stated that facing potential world champions would be a good experience for his team.

“We play against a big team. Normally, this team can be the next world champions. There are many big players in the team, so we are very happy to have this chance to play against them. This is a big game for them and for us,” Éric Chelle said at the pre-match press conference.

The Super Eagles lost 4-0 to Portugal in their first-ever meeting in 2022.

Chelle said his focus is not on what happened in the past.

“Now I have to stay focused on my players, on the philosophy and the way we want to play this game. This is not a question about the result. We played three years ago and we lost. This is not a question about that,” added the Malian.