Former Nigeria defender, Ben Iroha, has exclusively told Completesports.com that the Super Eagles’ title success in the 2026 Unity Cup tournament is clear evidence that Eric Sekou Chelle’s side are steadily returning to their full potential.
Iroha, who spoke from his base in Texas, United States of America, also pointed out that the emphatic 3-0 demolition of Jamaica in the final represents a strong restoration of Nigerians’ confidence in the senior national team.
Super Eagles Return To Winning Ways With Convincing Display
Alhassan Yusuf opened the scoring as early as the third minute, while Terem Moffi doubled the lead with his 59th-minute strike. Yusuf grabbed his second goal of the match in the first minute of stoppage time to ensure the Super Eagles cruised to a comfortable 3-0 victory and successfully retained the Unity Cup title.
Also Read: Yusuf Bags Brace, Moffi Scores As Super Eagles Thrash Jamaica 3-0 To Retain Unity Cup
It also extended Nigeria’s dominance over Jamaica, having won three of their eight meetings, lost only once, while four others ended in draws.
Iroha Hails Team For Rebuilding Nigerians’ Confidence
“First, I must say congratulations to the team. They have made us proud. They have put smiles on the faces of Nigerians by winning the Unity Cup and I say kudos to them,” Iroha began when Completesports.com contacted him moments after the game.
“It’s good they lifted the Unity Cup tournament trophy. But if you ask me, I would say the most important thing is the way they played. They have restored Nigerians’ confidence in the team.
Also Read: Unity Cup: Chelle Opens Up On World Cup Qualification, AFCON 2025 Disappointments
“In the two games they played, we saw a team gradually returning to its former form and quality. That’s very important. And if they maintain this form, we won’t have to struggle in major competitions.”
AFCON 2027 Qualifiers Will Provide Real Test
Asked if he thought the present squad could deliver in the forthcoming 2027 AFCON qualifiers, in which the Super Eagles have been drawn in Group L alongside Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar and Tanzania, Iroha responded that although it is still too early to make predictions, the team have shown enough promise to earn Nigerians’ trust.
“We’ve seen them play two games. Their performances, not only the results, are encouraging. But it’s still too early to predict. I think they have shown signs that Nigerians can believe in them,” Iroha said.
