AFCON: “I see absolutely no wrong in what Chukwueze did” – Man blames Coach Eric Chelle for Nigeria’s defeat

A Nigerian football fan has criticised Coach Eric Chelle following Nigeria’s exit from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semi-final against Morocco.

In a Facebook post, a user identified as Isaac Etim Isaac defended winger Samuel Chukwueze after he missed a crucial penalty in the shootout.

Isaac argued that the fault lay with the coach rather than the player.

Fan Criticises Coaching Decisions

Isaac claimed that Coach Chelle failed to utilise Chukwueze during regular and extra time, only bringing him on at the very end for the penalty shootout. He suggested that this strategy reflected poor planning.

He wrote: “I see absolutely no wrong in what Chukwueze did. As a coach, why should you play a whole 90 minutes without bringing him in, and then in extra time, second half almost ending, you brought him just for the purpose of penalty shootout? WTF.

“Which means you never wanted to win the match, rather you wanted a penalty shootout, and that was why you reserved Chukwueze for your stupid reason. And last last Chukwueze shoot the penalty, abii he no shoot?”

Support for Chukwueze

The fan’s post reflects growing debates among Nigerian supporters, many of whom have questioned Chelle’s tactical decisions during the crucial match.

Chukwueze, who missed the penalty, has received both criticism and support from fans across social media platforms.

Isaac’s comments have sparked conversations on Facebook and other social media, with many users siding with him, saying the coach’s late substitutions may have cost Nigeria a place in the final.