By Rasheed Adewuyi, New York
Nigeria’s head coach Eric Chelle has admitted that his team lost focus during the closing stages of their dramatic 3–2 win over Tunisia in Saturday’s Africa Cup of Nations Group C clash in Morocco.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Chelle praised his players’ dominance for most of the game but acknowledged that the final 15 minutes saw a concerning dip in concentration.
“We were the best team for seventy-five minutes,” he said. “We lost concentration because of the three-goal lead. There are some things we did well and some we didn’t do so well.”
The Super Eagles raced into a 3–0 lead courtesy of goals from Victor Osimhen, Wilfred Ndidi, and Ademola Lookman. But Tunisia clawed their way back with two late goals, including a contentious penalty, putting Nigeria under significant pressure as the game neared its conclusion.
Chelle emphasized that his vision is for the team to play with high intensity but acknowledged the physical limits.
“It is impossible to press high for ninety minutes,” he explained. “To press high for seventy-five minutes is good, but we need to improve on the last fifteen minutes.”
The Nigerian tactician also addressed his tactical changes, defending the timing and reasoning behind the substitutions.
“The changes were based on what I observed on the field,” he noted. “But the substitutes couldn’t do much because by then the Tunisians had taken control.”
On the controversial penalty that led to Tunisia’s second goal, Chelle refrained from immediate judgment.
“I need to watch the video before I can say anything about the referee’s decision,” he said.
Despite the tense finish, Nigeria secured all three points and finished top of Group C, becoming the second team after Egypt to qualify for the knockout stage of AFCON 2025. The Super Eagles will now look to build on their momentum while addressing the defensive lapses that nearly cost them the match.
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