Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has broken his silence on the controversial decision to introduce Samuel Chukwueze specifically for Nigeria’s penalty shootout defeat to Morocco, insisting the move was guided by detailed training data and performance metrics.
Nigeria’s hopes of reaching the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final were dashed on Wednesday night after the Super Eagles fell 4–2 on penalties to tournament hosts Morocco. The semifinal encounter ended 0–0 after 120 minutes, with Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi missing from the spot during the shootout.
Chukwueze was brought on late in extra time and did not participate in open play, making his missed penalty his only involvement in the match. The decision quickly sparked intense backlash from Nigerian fans online, with many questioning the logic behind deploying the winger solely for penalties.
Speaking at his post-match press conference, Chelle defended his call, stressing that the selection was not emotional or impulsive but grounded in preparation and statistics gathered during training sessions.
“I put Chukwueze for the penalty session because we worked extensively on penalties in all our training sessions,” Chelle explained.
“Based on the statistics and warm-up performances, the players who took penalties were the most reliable. That is why they were on the pitch.”
The coach added that every Super Eagles player selected for the shootout ranked among the team’s top penalty takers in practice, reinforcing his belief that the right decisions were made despite the painful outcome.
Nigeria’s latest shootout heartbreak has reopened old wounds for fans, as penalties have recently played a cruel role in the country’s major tournament ambitions. In November 2025, the Super Eagles also lost 4–3 on penalties to DR Congo in the African playoffs final, a defeat that denied Nigeria qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
While criticism continues to swirl, Chelle maintains that preparation, not hindsight, must guide technical decisions at the highest level of competition.
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