Eric Chelle explains Nigeria’s tactical change in 3-1 Tanzania victory

Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle says the switch from a 4-4-2 diamond to a flat 4-4-2 at half-time was part of the plan in the 3-1 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying win over Tanzania.

The Super Eagles made the ideal start when Alhassan Yusuf scored in the first minute, but Tanzania responded through Alphonce Msanga, who equalised in the 32nd minute.

Nigeria regained control after the break, with substitute Tolu Arokodare scoring twice. His goals came in the 52nd and 60th minutes to complete the victory.

Chelle’s decision to change the shape at half-time was one of the notable features of the match. The Nigeria coach said the players had been prepared to use the diamond formation in the first half before moving to a flat midfield after the interval.

“I spoke with the players. The game plan was like that. We were supposed to start with the 4-4-2 diamond and second half 4-4-2 flat. I asked them to make a high pressure in the first half. They did and we scored the first goal,” he explained.

The coach felt Nigeria’s failure to maintain concentration briefly allowed Tanzania back into the match, but said the second-half adjustment enabled his team to follow the intended approach.

“The problem was that in the first half, in this 30 seconds we lost our concentration and we conceded a goal and after that in second half we just followed the plan,” Chelle said.

“It was a good game and we have another game in few days. We have to go to Tanzania and win this game,” he added.

The result leaves Nigeria with the advantage before the return fixture in Tanzania. According to OwnGoalNigeria.com, Chelle’s tactical explanation came after the Super Eagles recovered from conceding the equaliser to secure a two-goal win.