Super Eagles coach, Eric Chelle, has explained why Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi were chosen to take penalties in Nigeria’s semifinal loss to Morocco at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Nigeria lost 4–2 on penalties after the match ended in a draw. Chelle said the two players were among the best penalty takers in the team based on training statistics.
He also revealed that Victor Osimhen was taken off late in the game because he picked up an ankle injury and could no longer move freely.
According to Chelle, the team had practiced penalties every day throughout the tournament. When it became clear that the match would go to penalties, he decided to bring on players who had performed best during training.
“Since the start of the tournament, we have been practicing penalties every day. The players chosen were statistically the best shooters, which is why we made the substitutions,” Chelle said.
Chukwueze, Paul Onuachu and Fisayo Dele-Bashiru were introduced during extra time mainly to prepare for the shootout.
Paul Onuachu replaced Osimhen and scored Nigeria’s first penalty, justifying the coach’s decision.
However, Chukwueze missed his penalty after Nigerian goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali had saved Morocco’s first attempt. Bruno Onyemaechi also failed to score, while Morocco converted all their remaining penalties to qualify for the final.
Morocco will now face Senegal in Sunday’s final, while Nigeria will play Egypt in the third-place match. Osimhen’s participation in that game is still uncertain because of his injury.
Despite the defeat, Chairman of BUA Group, Alhaji Abdul Samad Rabiu, praised the Super Eagles for their effort and confirmed he would still honour his promise of a $500,000 reward for the players and officials.
He said the team showed courage, unity and determination, and made Nigerians proud even though they did not reach the final.
The Super Eagles have since moved from Rabat to Casablanca ahead of their match against Egypt. The team held a training session open to the media, with another official session scheduled ahead of the game.
