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Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has reserved special praise for three members of his back line after Nigeria’s dramatic exit from the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, footynaija.com reports.
The Malian tactician has pointed to Calvin Bassey, Bruno Onyemaechi and Bright Osayi-Samuel as the team’s outstanding performers in the semi-final defeat to hosts Morocco.
Nigeria were knocked out in cruel fashion on January 14, losing on penalties after a tense, goalless 120 minutes against an energetic Moroccan side backed by a roaring home crowd. While the Atlas Lions controlled much of the ball and spent long periods in Nigerian territory, Chelle’s men stood firm defensively, frustrating one of the tournament’s most fluent attacks.
Wetin Eric Chelle and Bassey dey drag? pic.twitter.com/zTAEIzL6Vy
— Adepoju Tobi Samuel (@OgaNlaMedia) December 29, 2025
The Super Eagles’ discipline at the back, however, came at a price further forward. With midfield space tightly closed and forwards Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman often isolated, Nigeria struggled to create openings, managing just two attempts on goal throughout the contest.
In the shootout, Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou emerged as the hero, saving efforts from Bruno Onyemaechi and Samuel Chukwueze to seal a place in the final.
Despite the disappointment, Chelle focused on the commitment and quality shown by his defenders when reflecting on the match during an appearance on RMC Sport’s After Foot.
Victor Osimhen
— (@Varticoo) January 14, 2026
Ademola Lookman
Bright Osayi Samuel
Calvin Bassey
Akor Adams
Alex Iwobi
Eric Chelle
The whole nation is proud of y’all. pic.twitter.com/6KrHQxSX7v
“Calvin, you have the left-back Bruno Onyemaechi, who was having a great game. You have the right-back Bright, who was also impressive,” Chelle said.
“These players may have lost, but they gave everything. The question was whether I should stick to the original game plan or try to make changes and wait for them.
“But I wasn’t convinced that waiting would prevent us from conceding two or three goals.
“The stadium was full of spectators, it was madness. I had never experienced a match like this before; it was incredible.
“I wasn’t convinced that holding back would spare us further suffering, so we tried to press. But if you look at the match, after fifteen minutes, we couldn’t press effectively.”
Nigeria went on to respond positively, beating Egypt in the third-place play-off to secure the bronze medal and end their AFCON campaign on a winning note.
