'We'll come back to Nigeria if we play like this' - Eric Chelle warns Super Eagles players after loss

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has delivered a frank assessment of his side’s performance following their 1-0 loss to Senegal in their 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) Group D opener on Tuesday evening.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Chelle acknowledged that the Senegalese side showed greater hunger and intensity throughout the match. 

"Senegal was more aggressive than us. They put more intensity than us, and for me, this is normal. They deserve this victory,” he said.

Chelle did not shy away from addressing Nigeria’s shortcomings, pointing to a lack of mental readiness as a key reason for the defeat. 

"In the second half, we gave the goal. This was a small mistake. But this is normal because we never got into this game. Maybe mentally, or maybe we were scared about something," he said.

He highlighted a brief spell in the second half when Nigeria played with more intent. 

"We need to try to play football. During 20 minutes, when we played football, we created a chance to score. We kept the ball,” he noted.

Still, Chelle underlined that such moments were not enough to secure victories at this level. 

"This is football. But to win some games and to be ambitious, we need to be more aggressive—more aggressive,” he emphasized.

Looking ahead to the remaining group matches against Sudan and Congo, the Super Eagles coach stressed the importance of a psychological reset. 

"This is the first match. We have two more games, but we need to change our state of mind. We can’t play football if we lose every duel during the game.

"In the first half, we created no chance to score. So we need to be more aggressive."

Chelle also addressed Nigeria’s defensive and offensive balance. 

"We need to be more aggressive offensively and of course defensively. Even though we lost every duel, defensively I think we played well sometimes. But the reality is, we made just one mistake," he said.

Reinforcing his expectations, Chelle added, "So we need to improve our state of mind. We need to be more competitive, and once again—more aggressive. 

"We will see. But for the games against Sudan and Congo, if we play like this, if we are scared about some things, we’ll come back to Nigeria."

He reminded his players of the weight of representing Nigeria. 

"Senegal was a big team. I told them we want to take it game after game. In one week, we have the second game. We need to win if we want to qualify.”

On the broader tournament experience, Chelle offered praise. "This is football. But once again, if you want to play, you need to be more aggressive. The competition started well. 

"There are a lot of good teams in this competition, a lot of intensity. Teams try to play, and there is a lot of quality in this game.

“The pitches are very good, and the teams want to play. I’m surprised by the intensity—but it’s there. 

"In my opinion, this is a great channel start. For us, we will see—we’ll see for the second game.”

Wale Adejumo

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