Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has expressed confidence in the depth of his squad despite the absence of star forwards Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman ahead of Nigeria's international friendly against Poland on Wednesday.
The Malian tactician confirmed that both players will miss the encounter following Nigeria's impressive 3-0 victory over Jamaica in the final of the Unity Cup tournament in London.
Speaking during his pre-match press conference in Warsaw on Tuesday, Chelle said the fixture presents an important opportunity to assess alternative tactical options
"We have an interesting match ahead of us , in which we'll be able to test several solutions. We thank the Poles for their warm and friendly welcome," Chelle said via Sport.
Both Nigeria and Poland will be looking to rebuild after missing out on qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The Super Eagles' hopes ended after a penalty shootout defeat to DR Congo in November 2025, a setback that Chelle admitted was difficult to accept.
However, the former Mali coach insisted that his team must move forward and focus on long-term objectives.
"We're sad we're not going to the World Cup, but that's life. We have to focus on our vision and strengths. The match against Poland , which is a difficult opponent, is a good opportunity to test a few different approaches," he revealed.
Despite being without two of Nigeria's most influential attacking players, Chelle remains confident that the squad possesses enough quality to compete effectively.
"I've made a few decisions that I wouldn't like to elaborate on publicly. However, we have a lot of good players who will certainly fill in well for those absent," Chelle assured.
The Super Eagles continued their preparations with a second training session on Tuesday as they fine-tuned plans for the clash against Poland at the National Stadium in Warsaw.
The friendly will offer Chelle another opportunity to evaluate his squad as Nigeria begins preparations for upcoming 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying campaign.
Adeyemi Adewale
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