2025 AFCON: Chelle blames drop in quality after Nigeria’s defeat

Nigeria head coach Éric Sékou Chelle has admitted his side fell below their usual standards after the Super Eagles were knocked out of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations by Morocco on penalties.

The semi-final ended goalless after 120 minutes before the hosts triumphed 4-2 in the shootout, ending Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the final in Morocco.

Speaking after the match, Chelle was frank in his assessment, acknowledging that his team did not reproduce the technical sharpness shown in earlier rounds of the tournament.

“Our technicality was not like the same from the last match,” he said. “I don’t want to say we were tired, but that’s not the level.”

Nigeria had impressed throughout the competition, arriving at the semi-final with a perfect winning record, but struggled to find fluency against a disciplined Moroccan side backed by a vocal home crowd.

Chelle also addressed his penalty choices, explaining why winger Samuel Chukwueze was introduced late in the game.

“We put Chukwueze on for penalties because the guys who kicked the penalties were the best in training,” he said, defending his decision amid questions over the shootout outcome.

Despite the disappointment, the Nigerian coach urged perspective, pointing to the overall progress made by the team during the tournament. The Super Eagles showed resilience and organisation across the competition, even if their campaign ultimately ended just short of the final.

Nigeria will now turn their attention to the third-place play-off against Egypt, while Morocco prepare to face Senegal in the AFCON final.

For Chelle and his players, the challenge will be to channel the frustration of elimination into one final strong performance, as they seek to close the tournament with pride intact.