AFCON: Nigeria coach Eric Chelle ready for round of 16 pressure

The head coach of Nigeria’s senior men’s national team, Eric Chelle, has acknowledged that he is looking forward to the pressure of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) knockout stage after the Super Eagles concluded Group C with a 3-1 victory over Uganda in Fez on Tuesday.

​Speaking at his post-match press conference, Chelle said he has been under pressure since he became Super Eagles coach and is fascinated by the round of 16.

“The round of 16 is a lot of pressure, for sure, but I am fascinated by that. Since I arrived, I have had a lot of pressure and I feel good.

I feel good because the town is perfect, the hotel is perfect and the atmosphere is perfect.

We are calm and, if you watch the game, I think I am more calm than the last AFCON. I try to stay focused during the game, only on the game. I have my vision. Sometimes it is very good, sometimes it is bad. That is football. We work every day and the team works hard.”

He also praised the response of his rotated squad, admitting that the depth of the team now presents him with difficult selection decisions ahead of the knockout phase—a situation he welcomed.

“The group gave a good answer today because the players who did not start the previous games started today and they showed something. They scored three goals and I am very happy about that.

Now I have a little pain in my head because I have to make a lot of choices, because everybody can play in this team, and that is perfect for me.” .

Nigeria completed a perfect group campaign with three wins from three matches, finishing with nine points. They are now setting up a potential round of 16 clash against one of Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, or Mozambique on Monday in Fez.

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