Tag: Chelle

Super Eagles head coach Eric Sekou Chelle has reiterated his determination to see Nigeria begin their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign on a winning note, describing the opening group match against Tanzania as a crucial foundation for the tournament.

The Super Eagles face the Taifa Stars this evening at the Complexe Sportif de Fès, with Chelle insisting that the focus is firmly on securing maximum points.

 “This is a big game because it is the first game, and the first game is very important,” Chelle said during his pre-match press conference yesterday. “For sure, we want to win this game.”

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The Franco- Malian tactician stressed that Nigeria’s ambition at the tournament must be evident from the outset, adding that the team is fully prepared to compete with confidence and purpose.

Responding to speculation that his future could depend on Nigeria’s AFCON outing, Chelle refused to be distracted, emphasizing his commitment to the task at hand.

 “I’m only focused on the game and my players,” he said. “After the AFCON, we’ll have a meeting with the NFF. For now, we stay focused on the first game. We want to show our ambition.”

Chelle also played down concerns over the absence of some key defensive figures, expressing strong belief in the players available to him: “Of course I prefer that they’re here, but I’m with my players and I trust them. We have a big defense and we work a lot on that. When we want to defend, it’s not only about the defenders. Everybody is focused on that and we’re ready to play this game.”

He  further underlined the importance of concentration and self-belief, warning against complacency. “The most important thing is to stay focused on us because the first opponent is us,” Chelle remarked.

Despite Nigeria’s recent failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Chelle insisted that past disappointments have no place in the team’s current mind-set.

“We have a tournament and we’re here to be ambitious,” he said. “I don’t have the time to think about what happened before. The most important thing is the next game.”

Nigeria will kick off their Group C campaign against Tanzania at 6:30 PM, before Tunisia and Uganda clash later in the day.

The upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Morocco has put Nigeria’s Super Eagles under intense scrutiny as head coach Eric Chelle prepares to finalize his 28-man squad.

Chelle is expected to announce the roster this week, ahead of the tournament kicking off later this month.

His  initial 54-man provisional squad drew mixed reactions, with critics urging for more players to be given international opportunities. The decision by FIFA to shorten preparation time to just about a week has complicated squad selection, limiting the possibility of a full overhaul.

Chelle, according to SCORENigeria, plans to bring in “four or five new players” to refresh the team.

Among those likely to be included are  Ryan Alebiosu, the Blackburn Rovers’ promising right-back and Arsenal academy graduate making waves in the English Championship.

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Others Ebenezer Akinsanmiro, the  21-year-old defensive midfielder on loan to Pisa from Inter Milan who is  seen as part of the team’s future, especially as Nigeria transitions after missing out on World Cup qualification.

There is also Igoh Ogbu, the Slavia Praha’s central defender with previous national team exposure who could get another shot given injuries and absences in defense  while  experienced Trabzonspor’s striker, Paul Onuachu who is the Turkish Super Lig’s top scorer this season with 11 goals, expected to be recalled to provide more attacking options alongside Victor Osimhen.

  But significant absences   may include  injured Ola Aina as well as Bright Osayi-Samuel who has been struggling for playing time at  Birmingham City.

  The final squads must be submitted by Thursday, which adds urgency to Chelle’s decision-making.

The AFCON 2025 will provide an important platform for emerging Nigerian players to prove themselves on a big stage while also testing the blend of youthful energy and experienced stars like Onuachu and Osimhen. Fans and stakeholders await the final squad announcement amid hopes for a strong showing in Morocco.

Super Eagles coach Eric Sekou Chelle is expected to announce a 28-player squad this week for AFCON 2025, which kicks off December 21 in Morocco.

The Franco-Malian coach has been working to assemble his best squad following Nigeria’s disappointing performance in the CAF Play-Offs.

The 48-year-old has been consulting with senior players and reportedly  briefed the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Technical Committee on his plans yesterday.

 An official   who spoke to SCORENigeria described Chelle  as “sound, very knowledgeable” with “a clear vision for the team.”

Meanwhile, our correspondent gather  last night that the  48-year-old tactician will  unveil his AFCON list  this week  without  any further delay  with clock ticking  for the kick-off of the AFCON on December 21.

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“ The Super Eagles provisional list  is ready and might even be released  this week ,” a decent  source  told NationSport.

Chelle has openly stated his goal to win Nigeria’s fourth AFCON title, building on their previous victories in 1980, 1994 and 2013. He expressed confidence that the team will be mentally prepared, having played under pressure since March.

“Of course we want to win it (AFCON title) ,”Chelle  said in  a recent interview with CAF .“ Personally, I want to win AFCON.

“My last — and first — AFCON was a fantastic experience. I think Morocco will be a great tournament, too. The players feel the same.

“Since March we’ve played every match under pressure. When we set foot in Morocco, that pressure will be familiar. We’ll be ready mentally and in our collective mind-set,” he added.

Meanwhile, South Africa has already become the first country to name their official squad for the tournament, with coach Hugo Broos including two uncapped 20-year-olds.

The announcement of the Super Eagles’ squad  for AFCON 2025 is anticipated imminently as preparations intensify for the continental championship.

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations arrives at a defining moment for Nigerian football. In the wake of a painful World Cup failure and lingering questions about structure, leadership and identity, the Super Eagles enter Morocco carrying both the weight of expectation and the fire of redemption. Under Eric Chelle, a coach whose brief tenure has already restored belief and clarity, Nigeria confronts a fresh challenge: to transform frustration into fuel and reclaim its place among Africa’s elite. According to  some, the  Super Eagles is  a team standing at the crossroads between lingering doubt and the promise of a new beginning, writes TUNDE LIADI

By December 21, when the Africa Cup of Nations kicks off in Morocco, the Super Eagles will arrive as a wounded giant—dangerous, unpredictable, and desperate for redemption. Nigeria, one of Africa’s proudest football nations, has stumbled through a chaotic 18 months: four coaching changes, internal squabbles, unpaid bonuses, a training boycott, and a dramatic collapse in the race for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

 Yet, at the heart of the turbulence stands Eric Sekou Chelle, a calm figure thrust into a storm he didn’t create—but must now navigate hence AFCON 2025 is not merely a tournament for the Franco Malian tactician.

 “Of course we want to win it AFCON 2025),”  Chelle  recently  said in an interview with CAFOnline before the  World Cup Play-Offs setback. “Personally, I want to win AFCON.

 “ My last — and first — AFCON was a fantastic experience. I think Morocco will be a great tournament, too. The players feel the same. Since March we’ve played every match under pressure. When we set foot in Morocco, that pressure will be familiar.

 “ We’ll be ready mentally and in our collective mind-set. If we arrive on the back of play-off success, stopping us will be difficult. But there are big teams: Morocco are favourites, Tunisia, Côte d’Ivoire… nations in top form.

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 “Our strength is that the players have suffered, then found a way through. That can really hurt opponents,” he added.

In February 2024, Nigeria came heartbreakingly close to their fourth continental crown, losing 2–1 to hosts Côte d’Ivoire in Abidjan. That runner-up finish was supposed to be the foundation for a renewed World Cup bid. Instead, the team spiralled: home draws to Lesotho and South Africa, a disastrous defeat to Benin, locker-room tensions, the Victor Osimhen dispute, and eventually, a playoff heartbreak against DR Congo.

Former winger Tijani Babangida called the World Cup miss “self-inflicted,” condemning the inability of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to resolve tensions before they wrecked results. “We lost two matches because of that issue alone,” he said. “By the time the team settled, it was too late.”

Former defender Sam Sodje was more scathing: “Nigeria keeps repeating the same mistakes yet expects different results. The cycle is unacceptable.”

From the fans’ perspective, the failure highlighted deeper institutional rot—poor planning, chaotic leadership, and short-lived coaching tenures. One viral lament summed up the mood: “The way Nigeria runs football reflects Nigeria itself.”

Now, all roads point to AFCON for Chelle as he rejigs the team  for  this continental assignment.

Appointed in January 2025 as the first non-Nigerian African coach in Super Eagles history, Chelle arrived with little fanfare but immediate pressure. Expectations skyrocketed when he revived the team’s performances, collecting 14 points from 18 in World Cup qualifiers and beating Benin Republic 4–0 in Uyo to sneak into the playoff mini-tournament.

The momentum continued in Morocco. A 4–1 semifinal hammering of Gabon—fuelled by Akor Adams, Chidera Ejuke, and Victor Osimhen—raised hope. But penalties against DR Congo proved a familiar curse: missed spot-kicks, frustration, and Chelle’s controversial accusation of “voodoo” interference.

Still, the coach insists he is undeterred.

“We’re going to Morocco to win. That’s the objective,” he told CAFOnline.com. “Coaching Nigeria is a source of immense pride. I may be French-Malian, but now I am fully Nigerian in spirit and commitment.”

His belief is unwavering—but so is the scrutiny.

Former captain Joseph Yobo, one of the architects of the 2013 triumph, exudes optimism.

“This young crop has been together for a long time. Understanding is not their problem,” Yobo said after the AFCON draw. “Getting out of the group is never an issue for the Super Eagles. It’s about momentum—and taking it all the way to the final.”

Captain William Troost-Ekong whose availability  for the AFCON is still under speculations,   was  more cautious, respecting Nigeria’s Group C opponents—Tunisia, Uganda, Tanzania.

 “There is no cruise at AFCON. Nobody here thinks it’ll be simple,” he said recently.

Ekong knows what many fans do: Tunisia eliminated Nigeria at AFCON 2021, Uganda and Tanzania have frustrated them repeatedly in qualifying.

Yet former striker John Utaka, urging stability, believes continuity is Nigeria’s greatest chance.

“No, you don’t need to bring new players. This team understands each other. New players now will destabilize things.”

But not everyone sees  the Super Eagles as a  contender for the continental  silverware in Morocco .

Former winger Dimeji Lawal is among those ringing alarm bells.

“Nigeria is not positioned to win AFCON. Other nations have progressed. We cannot keep relying on fire-brigade preparation,” he thundered.

Lawal warns that structures—not talent—win tournaments. Identify a core, rebuild properly, eliminate interference, and allow coaches autonomy. The pattern is familiar: excitement before tournaments, chaos during qualifying, finger-pointing afterward. At what point does Nigeria break the cycle?

If the Super Eagles lack anything, it is not incentive and former International  striker Peter Ijeh believes missing the World Cup can ignite something powerful.

He said:  “What has gone is gone. They must channel that anger. These boys have the mentality to win AFCON.”

Mobi Oparaku, 1996 Olympic soccer  gold medallist agreed: “They don’t need extra motivation. Missing the World Cup is enough. They must make Nigerians happy again.”

But former defender Ifeanyi Udeze offers a counterpoint: the fans are emotionally checked out.

 “Many Nigerians don’t care about AFCON right now. They expected the World Cup. Their minds are elsewhere.”

Chelle must not only win matches—he must win back a nation’s trust in  a tricky Group C that houses  Nigeria, Tunisia , Uganda and  Tanzania.

Nigeria’s pedigree—16 medals in 20 tournaments—means expectations never dip, even when logic says they should. But this time, Group C is not a formality; it is a measuring stick.

The big questions ahead of Morocco 2025:can Chelle master Nigeria’s dressing room?

Considering  the  fact that the  Finidi George’s tenure collapsed partly because of player-coach tension. Chelle must command respect, balance egos and set clear standards.

Secondly, will NFF governance fail the team again? Issues such as unpaid bonuses, disorganized camps and unstable leadership, always befuddle the Super Eagles campaign .

On the pitch, can  Chelle’s Super Eagles function without Osimhen at his peak? The World Cup qualifiers showed a brutal reality: without Osimhen, Nigeria collected only 4 of 15 available points.

But  veteran coach Bitrus Bewarang offers the most balanced perspective: “Be patient. Let this man work. How many coaches will Nigeria employ in a year? He must be allowed to handle the players like professionals.”

Patience is a luxury Nigerian football rarely affords—but perhaps desperately needs.

Chelle walks a tightrope into Morocco. His team is good enough to win—but unstable enough to fall early. Critics say they cannot win in their current state. Optimists believe their AFCON 2023 run and their reaction under Chelle show a team ready to explode.

But as one commentator noted :“History tells us Nigeria thrives in chaos but logic says the cracks are too wide to paper over. The truth lies somewhere in between.”

All said and done, AFCON 2025 is no ordinary challenge for Eric Chelle.

Super Eagles: Group C schedule

23 December 2025

Nigeria  vs. Tanzania-Fez Stadium, Fez

27 December 2025

Nigeria vs. Tunisia-Fez Stadium, Fez

30 December 2025

Uganda  vs. Nigeria-Fez Stadium, Fez

Nigeria head coach Éric Chelle has accused the Democratic Republic of the Congo of using voodoo during their penalty shootout on Sunday.

DR Congo eliminated Nigeria from FIFA World Cup contention, claiming a 4-3 win on penalties at the Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan Stadium in Morocco on Sunday.

Locked at 1-1 after extra time thanks to first half goals from Nigeria’s Frank Onyeka (3’) and DR Congo’s Mechak Elia (52’), extra-time substitute Timothy Fayulu proved to be the difference maker, saving two penalties to send the Leopards through to the FIFA Play-Off Tournament.

Following the match, Chelle was involved in a heated altercation with DR Congo staff and accused the Leopards of using voodoo during the shootout.

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 “During all the penalty, the session, the guy of Congo did some voodoo. Every time, every time, every time. So this is why I was a little nervous after him,” said Chelle, which was captured in a video posted by ESPN Africa on X.

Chelle claimed he saw a member of the DR Congo staff throwing a liquid towards the goal.

Nigeria have now failed to qualify for a second successive World Cup, while the Leopards will look to secure their spot at the tournament through the upcoming intercontinental play-offs.

Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has said the team will cope with the absence of Wilfred Ndidi on Sunday’s 2026 World Cup Playoffs showdown against DR Congo.

Experienced midfielder Ndidi captained the Super Eagles against Gabon and provided an assist in the 4-1 demolition of Gabon on Thursday night.

However, he also picked up his second booking in the qualifying series in this game after he was booked against Rwanda in Kigali in March.

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“Ndidi is an important player for us. His experience, ability, and leadership on the pitch are important for this team,” Eric Chelle remarked.

“But we will manage the situation. We have a large squad of players and we will make changes.

“Ndidi is still here with us and will support the team mentally and with his presence.”

By Daniel Oyekan

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has praised his players for their passion, focus, and unity following Nigeria’s crucial semi-final  victory yesterday  in the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifier Playoff in Rabat, Morocco.

Speaking in his post-match briefing, Chelle expressed pride in the team’s performance, emphasizing that their collective commitment to his tactical instructions was key to securing the win.

“I’m very proud of these guys because every time they stay focused on what I ask and what I want,” Chelle said. “Today, they showed the world the passion, the teamwork, and the spirit I’ve been talking about since I came.”

The coach, who has consistently stressed the importance of building a recognizable playing identity for the Super Eagles, noted that the team’s progress extends beyond just results on the pitch.

 “Since I came, we’ve tried to work and create an identity — a sport project and a game project,” he explained. “For me, the most important thing for a team is to have an identity in how you defend and how you attack. That’s what we keep improving at every FIFA window.”

Chelle admitted that limited time for technical sessions during international breaks had made it difficult to fully implement his tactical philosophy, but he commended the players for adapting quickly and showing steady improvement.

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 “We don’t always get much time, sometimes just two or three training sessions but this group has improved mentally and technically,” he said. “They understand what I want to do for them, and that understanding showed today.”

Despite the victory, Chelle maintained a measured tone, urging focus ahead of the final against Democratic Republic of Congo  who edged the Indomitable Lions 1-0 in the other semi-finals last night in Rabat .

“The reality is that nothing is done yet. We still have two days and another match to play,” he cautioned. “After the second game, then we can smile.”