Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has acknowledged that Nigeria fell short in key areas during their dramatic semi-final exit at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, admitting his team lacked the energy and dynamism required to overcome host nation Morocco.
Nigeria’s AFCON journey came to an end on Wednesday night after a tightly contested encounter finished scoreless, before Morocco edged the Super Eagles 4–2 in a penalty shoot-out.
Reflecting on the clash, Chelle explained that his side’s aggressive pressing game was intentional but conceded that their overall performance did not match the level shown in earlier matches of the tournament.
“We chose to press high because sitting back would have created too much space and made things very difficult for us,” Chelle said. “However, technically, we were not as sharp as we had been in previous games.”
The Physical Struggles
While stopping short of blaming exhaustion, the 48-year-old tactician admitted his team struggled physically on the night.
“I won’t say it was fatigue, but we clearly missed movement and power,” he added.
Amid ongoing speculation about his position, Chelle remained focused on the immediate task ahead rather than his long-term future with the national team.
“At this moment, I am still in charge of the Super Eagles,” he said. “Our attention is on the match against Egypt, and we want to win it.”
Nigeria will take on Egypt in the third-place playoff on Saturday at 5 p.m., a fixture Chelle insists carries significant importance despite the disappointment of missing out on the final.
The coach also addressed questions surrounding his tactical decisions, including the choice to replace suspended captain Wilfred Ndidi with Raphael Onyedika.
“This is not about one individual,” Chelle stressed. “It’s about the collective effort of the team.”
Defending his penalty selections after misses from Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi, Chelle explained that the decision was based purely on training performances.
“The players who took the penalties were the most reliable during training sessions,” he said.
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With one match left to play, the Super Eagles will now look to finish their AFCON campaign on a positive note against Egypt.