Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle has described his side’s penalty shootout defeat to Morocco as a painful end to their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign.
The Super Eagles were eliminated after losing 4–2 on penalties to the Atlas Lions in a tense semi-final clash at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on Wednesday night. The match ended goalless after 120 minutes of intense and closely contested football.
Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou emerged as the hero of the shootout, saving two penalties to propel the tournament hosts into the final.
“The match was never easy, but the players showed strong mentality and fought for every ball,” Chelle said after the game.
“Losing on penalties is very painful. It’s difficult because we worked hard throughout the tournament, but that’s football. We must keep working.”
The Nigerian coach explained that his team adopted an aggressive pressing strategy to limit Morocco’s attacking threats.
“We played with high pressing because if you don’t press, you leave spaces and the situation becomes very complicated,” he noted.
However, Chelle admitted that his side did not perform at its usual technical level on the night.
“From a technical point of view, we were not at the same level as in our previous matches. I don’t want to say it was fatigue, but the reality is that we lacked movement and power,” he added.
The defeat ends Nigeria’s quest to reach a second consecutive AFCON final. The Super Eagles will now turn their attention to the third-place playoff against Egypt, scheduled for Saturday in Casablanca.
