Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong said the team has total confidence in head coach Eric Chelle to devise a winning tactic against Rwanda.
Chelle will lead the Super Eagles for the first time against Adel Amrouche’s men at the Amahoro Stadium in Kigali on Friday.
The Malian was appointed head coach of the three-time African champions in January.
Troost-Ekong emphasised that the players are focused on the task ahead.
“We have new ideas, and whenever you have a new manager, it’s always a situation where players want to prove themselves to the coach—they want to give their best,” the centre-back told a press conference on Thursday.
“So, there is a new level of focus. All the players respect the coach very much. We’ve seen what he achieved with his previous team, and, like I said, we are trying to understand as quickly as we can in three training sessions what he expects from us.”
The Super Eagles are yet to record a win in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Troost-Ekong remains hopeful of a positive outing against the Amavubi.
“It’s a work in progress, and hopefully, it will be a continuous growth. This first game will be a test straight away, even this early in our time working together,” he added.
“Like I said, I have full confidence in the team, the team has confidence in the coach, and it’s left for us to execute and do the job. I know Rwanda will be in a similar situation—they will be motivated to impress their new coach.”
