Eric Chelle, the head coach of Nigeria, has commended the Super Eagles for their mental fortitude despite suffering a 4-2 defeat in a penalty shootout against Morocco in the semi-finals of AFCON 2025.
In his remarks following the intense match held in Rabat, Chelle referred to the loss as disheartening, while emphasizing that his players put forth maximum effort during the game.
"The encounter was challenging, but the players demonstrated a strong mentality and battled for every possession," Chelle stated.
The match against Morocco ended without any goals even after extra time, unfolding at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), this highly anticipated clash, coined a "final before the final," met the high expectations of fans with both teams displaying a cautious and disciplined approach.
Chelle explained that his team employed a high-press strategy aimed at reducing Morocco's attacking capabilities.
"We applied high pressure because failing to do so creates gaps, making the situation increasingly difficult," he expressed.
Chelle admitted that his team did not perform at the usual technical level, noting issues with movement and intensity at crucial moments. "From a technical standpoint, we were not on par with our earlier performances. I won’t attribute this solely to fatigue; rather, we seemed to lack movement and aggression," Chelle remarked.
Despite these challenges, the Super Eagles maintained a robust defensive display, notably highlighted by Calvin Bassey’s performance.
Goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali also shone, delivering an outstanding one-handed save against Hamza Igmane during the penalty shootout.
However, crucial missed penalties by Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi ultimately hindered Nigeria's chances, as Morocco converted four of their attempts to secure their advancement.
Chelle called on his players to remain concentrated, with Nigeria now setting its sights on securing a podium finish.
"We put in a lot of effort throughout this tournament. This is part of football, and we must keep pushing forward," he stated.
Nigeria is set to compete against Egypt in the third-place playoff scheduled for Saturday in Casablanca. Egypt had earlier lost 1-0 to Senegal, thanks to a late strike by Sadio Mane in the 78th minute.
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