Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has acknowledged that Nigeria lacked the movement and physical strength required to overcome hosts Morocco in their AFCON 2025 semi-final clash.
Naija News reports that Nigeria were eliminated on Wednesday night after a tightly contested 0-0 draw ended in a 4-2 penalty shootout victory for Morocco.
Speaking after the encounter, Chelle explained that his team’s high-intensity pressing game was intentional, but admitted their overall performance did not match the level shown earlier in the tournament.
“We approached the game with aggressive pressing because without pressing, you leave too much space and things become very difficult,” Chelle said.
“Technically, the Super Eagles were not at the same level as in our previous matches. I don’t want to blame it on fatigue, but the reality is that we lacked movement and power.”
The 48-year-old tactician was also asked about his future amid ongoing speculation, but he played down the discussion, insisting his focus remains on the immediate task ahead.
“For now, I am still the coach of the Super Eagles,” Chelle stated.
“We have a match against Egypt and I want to win it.”
Nigeria will take on Egypt in the third-place playoff on Saturday at 5 p.m., a fixture Chelle stressed should not be treated lightly.
Chelle further addressed his tactical decisions and squad selection, including his choice to replace suspended captain Wilfred Ndidi with Raphael Onyedika.
“This is not about one individual; it’s about the team as a whole,” he said.
On the penalty shootout, where Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi failed to convert their kicks, Chelle defended his selections.
“We chose our penalty takers based on training. The players who stepped up were the best performers during practice,” he explained.