AFCON 2025: Eric Chelle Reflects on Super Eagles’ Semi-final Loss to Morocco Avoids Future Speculation

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Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has acknowledged that his team fell short in their semi-final clash against hosts Morocco at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), citing a lack of movement and power as key factors in their 4-2 penalty shootout defeat following a goalless 120 minutes.

Gossip News Now reports that Nigeria exited the tournament on Wednesday night after a tightly contested match that saw both sides cancel each other out during regulation and extra time.

Speaking after the game, Chelle explained that his side employed a high pressing strategy, but admitted that the overall performance did not match the standard set in earlier fixtures.

“We played this match with high pressing because leaving space would have complicated things,” Chelle said.
“Technically, the Super Eagles weren’t at the same level as in our previous matches. I don’t want to blame fatigue, but it’s true that we lacked the movement and power needed to get over the line.”

The 48-year-old coach was also asked about speculation regarding his future, which had circulated even before the start of the tournament. Chelle chose not to address those rumors, emphasizing that his focus remains on Nigeria’s next fixture.

“For now, I am still the coach of the Super Eagles,” he stated.
“We have a game against Egypt, and my priority is to win it.”

Nigeria will face Egypt in the third-place playoff at 5 p.m. on Saturday, a contest Chelle insists will be competitive and far from a formality.

Chelle also defended his tactical decisions, including the choice to replace suspended captain Wilfred Ndidi with Raphael Onyedika, stressing that success relies on the team as a whole rather than individual players.

Regarding the penalty shootout, Chelle stood by his selection of takers after Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi missed their spot-kicks.

“We put Chukwueze in for penalties because the players chosen were the best performers during training,” he explained.