Chelle pledges Super Eagles improvement
Super Eagles Head Coach, Eric Chelle, has assured Nigerians that the team will continue to improve following their 2–1 victory over Tanzania in their opening match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday. Nigeria began their AFCON campaign on a positive note with the win over the Taifa Stars at the Complexe Sportif […]
Super Eagles’ defender, Semi Ajayi, celebrates after scoring the opening goal against Tanzania
Super Eagles Head Coach, Eric Chelle, has assured Nigerians that the team will continue to improve following their 2–1 victory over Tanzania in their opening match of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on Tuesday.
Nigeria began their AFCON campaign on a positive note with the win over the Taifa Stars at the Complexe Sportif de Fès, as goals from Semi Ajayi and Ademola Lookman secured all three points for the three-time African champions.
The Super Eagles delivered a solid first-half performance, dominating possession and creating several scoring opportunities.
However, their intensity dipped after the break, allowing Tanzania to grow into the contest and eventually pull a goal back.
The concession was particularly disappointing, as it stemmed from a lapse in concentration that could have been avoided with better game management.
Despite the shortcomings, Chelle was encouraged by several aspects of his team’s display and stressed that improvement remains the priority as the tournament progresses.
“We have to analyze this win because we did a lot of good things in the first half. We created chances to score and had lots of shots on goal.
“In the second half, we made two mistakes that allowed Tanzania to come back.
“We had more chances in front. We’re happy with the three points. The key in AFCON is improving every game. After analysis tonight or tomorrow (yesterday), we’ll keep improving for the big Tunisia match.
“We need to defend better and more movement with the ball when we are not playing well. I congratulate my players, but there’s a lot of work to be done,” Chelle said after the game.
The result places Nigeria second in Group C, two points behind Tunisia, who defeated Uganda 3–1 in their opening fixture. With only one goal separating the top teams, the group remains finely balanced heading into the next round of matches.