KEY POINTS
- Chelle praises Eagles’ mentality after AFCON 2025 semi-final loss.
- Nigeria held Morocco scoreless before penalties decided match.
- Super Eagles now face Egypt in third-place playoff.
Nigeria coach Eric Chelle praised the Super Eagles’ mental resilience after their AFCON 2025 semi-final campaign ended in a 4–2 penalty shoot-out loss to hosts Morocco, describing the defeat as painful but reflective of a committed performance.
Speaking in Rabat after the match, Chelle said his players showed character in a tense contest that finished goalless after regulation time and extra time at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. Nigeria and Morocco had traded spells of cautious, disciplined play in a fixture widely billed as a “final before the final.”
“The match was never easy, but the players showed strong mentality and fought for every ball,” Chelle said, adding that the team gave everything on the pitch despite falling short.
AFCON 2025 semi-final tests Eagles’ resolve
Chelle said Nigeria adopted an aggressive pressing strategy to contain Morocco’s attacking threats, warning that a passive approach would have invited danger. He acknowledged, however, that the Super Eagles did not reach their usual technical standards.
“Technically, we were not at the level of our previous matches,” he said. “I won’t blame fatigue, but we lacked movement and power at key moments.”
Despite those limitations, Nigeria delivered another disciplined defensive display. Calvin Bassey impressed at the back, while goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali produced a standout moment in the shoot out, making a one-handed save to deny Hamza Igmane.
Ultimately, missed penalties from Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi swung the outcome. Morocco converted four of their kicks to book a place in the final, extending the hosts’ strong run on home soil.
AFCON 2025 semi-final shifts focus to playoff
Chelle urged his players to move on quickly as Nigeria targets a podium finish. “We worked hard throughout the tournament. This is football, and we must continue working,” he said.
The Super Eagles will now face Egypt in Saturday’s third-place play-off in Casablanca. Egypt reached the match after a narrow 1–0 defeat to Senegal, decided by a 78th-minute strike from Sadio Mane.
While the AFCON 2025 semi-final loss ended Nigeria’s title hopes, Chelle said the team’s mentality and defensive organisation offered positives to build on as preparations turn to the final fixture and future competitions.
