Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has taken full responsibility for Nigeria’s disastrous outing at the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), admitting that the team was neither mentally nor physically prepared for the tournament.
Nigeria’s campaign ended in disappointment after back-to-back defeats to Senegal and Sudan condemned the Eagles to an early exit. Although they secured a 2-0 victory over Congo in their final group game, courtesy of goals from NPFL star Anas Yusuf and striker Sikiru Alimi, the result only served as a consolation. The Super Eagles finished third in the group, falling short of expectations.
Speaking in an interview with CAFonline, Chelle apologised to Nigerians for the poor showing and pointed to deeper issues that affected the team’s performance long before the competition began. The Franco-Malian coach explained that preparations for CHAN should ideally start a year in advance, something Nigeria failed to do.
He highlighted the late inclusion of Alex, who surprisingly went on to win Man of the Match against Congo, as a sign of how chaotic the build-up was. “I added him to the squad just a week before departure. People questioned why I called up someone relatively unknown, but it shows how unorganised our preparations were,” he said.
Chelle was also blunt about the players’ mental state, admitting that the squad lacked focus. “We weren’t ready for this tournament. Anyone who attended our training sessions could see that the players were not mentally prepared,” he confessed.
The coach’s honest admission has sparked conversations about the urgent need for structural reforms and long-term planning in Nigerian football. For a country with such a rich history in African football, the CHAN 2024 failure serves as a wake-up call that without proper organisation and vision, success on the continental stage will remain out of reach.
