Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has defended his decision to bring on Samuel Chukwueze for the penalty shootout in Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations semi-final loss to Morocco. The match ended 0-0 after 120 minutes, but Nigeria fell 4-2 in the shootout, with misses from Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi ultimately deciding the contest and ending the team’s hopes of reaching the final.
Chukwueze was introduced late in extra time, and his only involvement in the match was the missed penalty, which drew criticism from many Nigerians on social media. Some fans questioned Chelle’s decision to substitute the winger at such a crucial moment, suggesting it may have contributed to the team’s defeat.
Speaking at the post-match press conference, Chelle explained that his choice was based on players’ performances in training. “I put Chukwueze for the penalty session because we did work in all training sessions for the penalties,” he said. “With the statistics, the guys who kicked penalties were the best during the warm-ups; that is why we have these guys on the pitch.” Chelle emphasized that all players who took spot-kicks during the shootout were among the team’s most reliable penalty takers in practice.