Nigeria took an early lead through Kelechi Iheanacho in the 10th minute, but Russia turned the game around before and shortly after half-time through Lechi Sadulaev, Matvey Kislyak and Aleksey Miranchuk.
Chelle admitted that Russia controlled the closing stages of the first half and the early part of the second half, putting Nigeria under pressure.
“This represents a draw. We achieved a significant moment at the beginning of the first half. They possessed substantial moments at the conclusion of the first half,” Chelle said during his post-match press conference.
“This explains their two goals. In the opening of the second half, the situation remained comparable,” he added.
The Malian tactician said Nigeria’s fortunes changed after he made tactical adjustments to the attacking positions, allowing the Super Eagles to make better use of fast-break opportunities.
“We discovered a resolution because tactically we implemented adjustments regarding our strikers,” Chelle said.
“During the concluding phase of the second half, they failed to identify a resolution, and consequently we achieved two goals through transitional play,” he added.
The changes paid off as Peter Edokpolor reduced the deficit before substitute Akor Adams completed the comeback with a 94th-minute equaliser following a swift counter-attack.
Chelle praised the players for their resilience, particularly as the squad featured nine debutants, and expressed appreciation for their determination to recover from the 3-1 deficit.
“The second-half performance of my team demonstrated considerable quality. I expressed appreciation for my players,” he said.
The draw came after Nigeria’s disappointing 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in their previous outing, with Chelle acknowledging the importance of his players’ response against Russia.
“And as I communicated to my colleague on my left side, the decisive factor of the match is the football itself,” the coach concluded.
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