The Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has expressed confidence that his team will again beat the Reggae Boyz of Jamaica to retain the Unity Cup they won last year at the expense of the same team.
An experimental Super Eagles team without top stars like Wilfred Ndidi and Moses Simon saw off Zimbabwe 2-0 in the first semifinal to set up a final showdown against Jamaica, who put out India also 2-0 in their own semifinal.
Last year’s final was decided by the lottery of the penalty kick after fulltime scores stood at 2-2.
The three-time African champions netted their five penalty kicks while Dwayne Atkinson blew his kick above goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali’s goal.
Eric Chelle has said he has put the winning mentality in his team.
“Penalties are part of the game, and it can decide who wins a match,” he said.
“Every time I go into a game, I have the mentality to win. This is the culture I have put in these boys – the winning culture.
“I don’t know if Saturday’s game will end in penalties; what I know is that I have prepared my team to win.”
He added: “These are very young players with a bright future and they are hungry for success at any level. So, on Saturday, we will see how the game is decided, but we surely have prepared to win and defend the Unity Cup.”
Kick-off tomorrow at The Valley is 7.30 pm
