Chelle warns Super Eagles after CHAN loss to Senegal

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has issued a blunt warning following Nigeria’s 1-0 defeat to Senegal in their opening Group D fixture at the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN).

Speaking after the match, Chelle admitted Senegal were the better side.

“They were more aggressive and played with more intensity. They deserved the win,” he said.

He pointed to Nigeria’s lack of mental readiness as a key factor in the loss. “We gave away the goal due to a small mistake. But truthfully, we never got into the game, maybe mentally, or maybe we were scared.”

Despite a brief second-half improvement, Chelle stressed that such flashes were insufficient.

“For 20 minutes we played football, held the ball, and created a chance, but that’s not enough. We must be more aggressive.”

Looking ahead, Chelle said the team must reset mentally ahead of clashes against Sudan and Congo. “If we continue like this, if we’re scared, we’ll return to Nigeria early.”

“We lost every duel. We must be more aggressive offensively and defensively. We played well sometimes, but the one mistake cost us,” he added.