Nigeria gave as much as they got from Senegal in their opening game of the ongoing African Nations Championship in East Africa, but their bane was the inability to make superior possession count in the game they lost 1-0. But that is behind the team now, according to Head Coach Eric Chelle.

Chelle, who expressed surprise at the exceptional intensity and quality of his team’s Group C opener, agrees that his boys will have to up their game or risk being knocked out of the championship at the group stage.

“I am surprised about the intensity,” Chelle told cafonline.com, reflecting on a match that showcased the technical levels of both teams. “There are a lot of good teams and much quality. I think the pitches are very good, allowing for fast-paced and technical football. This would be a great CHAN competition.”

After missing the past two editions of the CHAN in 2020 and 2022 despite previous strong showings in 2014, 2016, and 2018, the Super Eagles B entered Tuesday’s match with high hopes but fell short against a well-drilled Senegalese team, which scored the decisive goal in the 75th minute.

Speaking at the post-match briefing, Chelle described Senegal’s goal as “self-inflicted” due to a defensive error and lamented his side’s lack of urgency, especially in the first half.

“Senegal deserved their victory because we just played 20 minutes in the second half,” he said. During the first half, I didn’t recognise my team. Senegal was more aggressive than us; they put more intensity, and it’s very normal for them to go ahead and win.”

While acknowledging his team’s improved performance in the second half, Chelle stressed that short bursts of quality were not enough to win matches at this level.

“When we started playing, we created chances, kept the ball well, and showed glimpses of our attacking flair,” he said. “But we need to be more ambitious and aggressive, to press higher up the pitch and win the ball back quickly.”

The defeat leaves Nigeria in a precarious position, needing a win in their second group game against Sudan on Tuesday to remain in contention for qualification.

Chelle emphasised the importance of a shift in mentality and a more proactive approach if his side is to bounce back. “We need to change our state of mind,” he said.

“We need to be more aggressive, to dominate possession and create scoring opportunities. You simply can’t win matches if you lose all duels, especially in the midfield. We created no chances in the first half. We cannot let that happen.”

Despite the opening setback, Chelle remained optimistic about Nigeria’s chances of advancing, pointing to the team’s potential and the lessons learned from facing one of the tournament favourites.

“In a week, we need to win the second game if we want to give ourselves hope.”