Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has vowed that Nigeria will finish their Africa Cup of Nations campaign on a high when they meet Egypt in the third‑place playoff in Casablanca, Footynaija.com reports.
Nigeria’s journey at AFCON 2025 has taken twists few expected after a strong group stage and a big‑chance Round of 16 win over Algeria. The Super Eagles went into the semifinals with confidence, only to be held by hosts Morocco and exit on penalties after a tense, goalless 120 minutes. That result denied Chelle’s side a shot at the title and left the squad refocusing on the bronze medal match against a familiar rival.
The Pharaohs also fell short in their semifinal, going down to Senegal, which sets up a fiery renewal between two of Africa’s historic heavyweights. For Nigeria, the third place game on Saturday is a chance to honour fans, repay hard work and claim silverware before returning home.
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In his pre‑match press conference, the Ivory Coast-born, Franco-Malian manager spoke with honesty about the Super Eagles’ mood as they prepare for Egypt.
“Reality is I’m very disappointed to be here because I have a lot of ambitions for this team, for these players,” he said.
The coach spoke of the bond within the squad, noting how his captain reminded him that leadership goes both ways. He admitted the psychological toll of coming so close only to fall short.
“But my captain said if I ask something from my players, I have to do the same. I said after game against Morocco, you have a good tournament, so I said keep your head, today it’s difficult to keep my head,” he added.
“The only solution I found is a big smile. There is not a question about pressure, because I want to win this game and I have a lot of pressure, but yesterday is gone. I just want to win this game and after this AFCON we can think of everything.”
The 48-year-old then declared, “I promised my dad to come back with the trophy, we didn’t do it, we will go home with the third place.”
