Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle has expressed pride in his squad following Nigeria’s exit from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations after a dramatic semi-final loss to hosts Morocco in Rabat.
Nigeria bowed out after falling 4–2 on penalties at the Stade Prince Moulay Abdallah, with the encounter ending goalless after 120 minutes.
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Morocco controlled much of the possession and fashioned the clearer chances, while Ademola Lookman’s first-half effort stood out as Nigeria’s most meaningful attempt from open play.
Addressing the media after the match, Chelle offered a frank and detailed assessment, focusing on tactical discipline and execution rather than effort or mentality.
The Malian coach confirmed that the Super Eagles maintained their 4-4-2 diamond formation, the same system used in the previous round, but admitted that its effectiveness depends heavily on sustained high pressing.
“We played in a 4-4-2 diamond again,” Chelle said. “With this system, you must press very high. If you don’t, you leave space out wide, and defending becomes very difficult.”
According to Chelle, Nigeria executed the plan well early on, particularly in the opening exchanges, but gradually lost their compactness and intensity.
“For the first 15 minutes of the first half, our pressing was good,” he explained. “After that, we were always one or two metres late in our positioning, and that created problems for us.”
Chelle also highlighted technical shortcomings and poor ball retention as decisive factors, while ruling out fatigue as an excuse for the defeat.
“Technically, we were not at the same level as in the previous match,” he said. “I don’t want to talk about tiredness. The truth is, we played this game like a fight, but it didn’t really reflect our usual style. We lacked movement and lost the ball too many times.”
Despite the loss, goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali emerged as one of Nigeria’s standout performers, producing a series of vital saves during regulation time and extra time.
He also stopped a penalty from Hamza Igamane in the shootout, but misses by Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi ultimately sealed Nigeria’s fate.
While disappointed to miss out on a place in the final, Chelle was full of praise for his players’ commitment and fighting spirit.
“Our mentality was very good,” he concluded. “They fought for every ball, and I am truly proud of these players.”
The Super Eagles will now shift focus to the third-place playoff against Egypt as they aim to finish their AFCON campaign on a positive note.
