Eric Chelle, head coach of the Super Eagles, has opened up on his touchline tussle with his South African counterpart, Hugo Broos.
Chelle clashed with Broos at a point during both sides’ 2026 World Cup qualifier on Tuesday evening.
This comes after the benches of Nigeria and South Africa confronted each other at a moment during the game at the Free State Stadium.
The match officials, however, had to step in to diffuse the tension as Chelle and Broos were seen exchanging words.
Speaking on the development after the game, Chelle insisted that what happened was part of the game, adding that sometimes “you have to fight.”
“There is tension. You can say something badly and sometimes you’ve to fight, not a real fight, but you need to manage it,” Chelle told reporters when asked about the touchline tussle with Broos after the game.
“Sometimes it is difficult because of the pressure. This’s normal when both benches want to win. You know every decision of the referee, one of the benches isn’t agreeing with it. This is football.”
