We prepared for penalties, Eric Chelle says
Coach of the Nigerian Super Eagles Eric Chelle has disclosed his team’s extensive preparation for penalty shoot-out prior to the Africa Cup of Nations’ (AFCON) semi-final match against Morocco which they lost on penalties.
Morocco secured a 4-2 victory over Nigeria after their 0-0 draw in a tense semi-final face off in Rabat on Wednesday.
The 120 minutes battle before the shootout had few clear chances for either side, but Morocco had greater opportunities, many of which were denied by the Nigerian goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali.
The Moroccans are on the brink of a first continental crown since 1976, though they face Sadio Mane’s Senegal side which defeated Egypt 1-0 to qualify for the final.
Though the Super Eagles’ display on Wednesday could not see them through to the final, they have had the best scoring record in the competition coming into the semi-final.
Speaking in a post-match interview, Super Eagles’ coach Chelle noted: “Normally, we play a 4-4-2 diamond, and because I felt it was difficult to apply high pressure, I put Moses in midfield and Chukwueze on for the penalty situation.
“We worked in every training session on penalties, and the players who took the kicks were the best performers over the past month. That is why we selected them.”
“The match was never easy, but the players showed a strong mental response and fought for every ball. Losing on penalties is very painful. It’s difficult because we worked hard throughout the entire tournament, but that’s football. We must continue working,” he added.
He stated that the Nigerian players were somewhat lagging in their last performance when compared to their other outings in the ongoing AFCON.
“We played this match with high pressing because if you don’t press, you leave spaces and the situation becomes very complicated. From a technical point of view, we were not at the same level we showed in other matches. I don’t want to say the reason was fatigue, but the truth is that we lacked movement and power,” Chelle said.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria lost to the Atlas Lions of Morocco on Wednesday at the Africa Cup of Nations semi-finals, while Egypt lost to Senegal by a lone goal.
With the outcomes of the semi-final outings, the host country Morocco would now face 2021 winners Senegal at the final match on Sunday, while Nigeria who last won AFCON in 2013 would clash with Egypt for third position on Saturday.
