“Sometimes You Need To Fight”: Eric Chelle Breaks Silence on Clash With South Africa Coach
- Eric Chelle has addressed the heated confrontation with Hugo Broos during Nigeria vs. South Africa World Cup qualifier
- The Super Eagles coach says emotions ran high, but insists there was no bad blood between both benches
- South Africa stay top of Group C, leaving Nigeria with an uphill battle to reach the World Cup with two matches remaining
The clash between Nigeria and South Africa in Bloemfontein was always going to be tense and it proved so even for the technical crew.
The dramatic game at the Free State Stadium witnessed 97 minutes of football, a handball equaliser, and two benches that refused to back down, creating an electric atmosphere all through the encounter.
Source: Getty Images
At one point, emotions boiled over on the touchline with Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle and his South African counterpart Hugo Broos almost coming to blows.
The technical crew from both teams got into a heated exchange that lasted nearly ten minutes, forcing the referee and fourth official to step in, Soccernet reports.
Super Eagles’ goalkeeper, Stanley Nwabali, who plays for South African club Chippa United, even left his post to help calm things down.
Seven minutes of added time were eventually played, but the confrontation left its mark on a night that already carried huge stakes for both sides.
Chelle explains what happened with Broos
After the match, Super Eagles coach Chelle addressed the issue despite not getting the needed result he would have wanted.
Source: Getty Images
The 47-year-old coach, who was involved in the argument with South Africa’s Broos, explained that the moment was born out of pressure rather than hostility, GOAL reports.
“Once again, this is a big game, so there is some stress; there is some tension,” Chelle said.
“So, sometimes you can say something badly, and sometimes you need to fight, not against the real fight, but you need to manage it, and sometimes it’s difficult because of the pressure,” he added.
“This is the football. This is normal when the two teams, when the two benches, want to win, and you know it was at every decision about the referee; one of the bench does not agree with that, so this is the football.”
Nigeria still has a chance
The match ended 1-1 in Bloemfontein, leaving the group table largely unchanged.
South Africa remain top with 17 points and need just one more win from their final two qualifiers to book a place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
On the other hand, Nigeria sit third with 11 points and faces a much tougher road.
With games against Lesotho and Benin still ahead, the Super Eagles need back-to-back wins and will pray for favours elsewhere to have any hope of qualifying.
If other results do not go Nigeria’s way, it will be the second consecutive FIFA World Cup tournament the Super Eagles have failed to qualify for after missing out on the 2022 edition in Qatar.
Chelle give Nigerians World Cup hopes
In a related development, Legit.ng reported that despite failing to beat South Africa at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein, Super Eagles coach Chelle is optimistic Nigeria can still make it to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
It is a very complex situation for Nigeria, who must win their last two matches and hope South Africa lose their games against Zimbabwe and Lesotho, while Benin must lose one of their last two games.
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Source: Legit.ng
