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Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has defended his choice to bring on Samuel Chukwueze for Nigeria’s penalty shootout against Morocco, stressing that the decision was informed by training performance data and statistics.
Nigeria lost 4-2 on penalties to hosts Morocco on Wednesday, missing out on a place in the AFCON final. The match had ended 0-0 after 120 minutes, and misses from Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi proved decisive.
Chukwueze was introduced late in extra time and did not play during open play, making the penalty shootout his only involvement. The move drew criticism from fans on social media, who questioned Chelle’s judgment.
At his post-match press conference, Chelle explained that the selection was based on the players’ penalty performance in training.
“I put Chukwueze for the penalty session because we did work in all training sessions for the penalties,” Chelle said.
“With the statistics, the guys who kicked penalties were the best during the warm-ups; that is why we have these guys on the pitch,” he added, emphasizing that every Super Eagles player chosen for the shootout ranked among the team’s most reliable takers in practice.
The defeat recalled recent painful moments for Nigerian fans, as penalty shootouts have repeatedly denied the team major qualification opportunities. In November 2025, Nigeria lost 4-3 on penalties to DR Congo in the final of the African playoffs, a result that cost the Super Eagles a place at the 2026 World Cup.
Elijah Adeyemi
