Super Eagles’ Coach Eric Chelle has reaffirmed his commitment to building a Nigerian national team that will stand any test posed by some of the best sides in the world.
 
Chelle, who led Nigeria to a bronze medal finish at the 23rd Africa Cup of Nations, which ended in Morocco yesterday, praised his players for braving the challenges posed by some of the continent’s biggest sides to come out of the championship in third position.
 
Speaking after the third-place game against Egypt, which Nigeria won 4-2 after a penalty shootout, Chelle said that his players showed “team character” after the disappointment of missing out on the final.      
  
“They refused to allow that setback to overshadow their overall effort. We showed strong character to bounce back after our semi-final disappointment. These team members kept their heads up and fought for every ball.”   He explained that the players handled the emotional weight of the occasion with maturity and stayed disciplined despite the pressure surrounding the game.
 
The coach also highlighted the contribution of players who were given opportunities in the starting lineup, describing their display as evidence of depth and unity within the squad.             
 
According to Chelle, the willingness of every player to step up reflected the strong spirit in the camp. He described the bronze medal finish as a deserved reward for the team’s consistency and collective effort across the competition, adding that the experience would serve as motivation as the Super Eagles look ahead to future international challenges.

He added: “My mission is to keep this group (of players), if I am still the coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, of course.”  In Morocco, Chelle guided Nigeria to its highest-ever tally of 14 goals in a single AFCON, with the team unbeaten in regulation time in any of its seven matches, and showing class and character in games against fellow continental powerhouses Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt. Tanzania and Uganda, who will jointly host next year’s AFCON finals alongside Kenya, also got spanked by the Super Eagles.
 
In winning their first AFCON title on home soil in 1980, the Eagles scored a total of eight goals against Tanzania, Egypt, Morocco and Algeria.   In 1994 in Tunisia, they scored a total of nine goals, and when winning in South Africa in 2013, the Super Eagles netted 11 times.
 
Meanwhile, Victor Osimhen and some of the other players departed Morocco immediately after the third-place match against Egypt on Saturday night. The rest of the team was expected to depart Morocco for their various clubs yesterday, while the Nigeria-based members of the delegation to Morocco are expected to arrive back home today.