Omotayo Fashola
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has broken his silence on Victor Osimhen’s late substitution and subsequent absence from the penalty shootout in Nigeria’s heartbreaking AFCON semifinal loss to Morocco.
The match ended 2-2 after extra time, but Nigeria faltered 4-2 in the shootout, leaving fans baffled by Osimhen’s removal just before penalties. The Napoli striker was replaced by Trabzonspor forward Paul Onuachu, who stepped up to convert the first spot-kick. However, misses from Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyeamachi sealed Nigeria’s fate as Morocco advanced to the finals.
Chelle revealed that Osimhen himself requested to sit out the shootout due to injury concerns.
“We rehearse penalties rigorously in training, and I maintain detailed stats on our best takers,” Chelle stated in an interview with RMC Sport’s After Foot.
“Victor approached me before the shootout and admitted, ‘Coach, my ankle is in pain—I can’t take a penalty.’”
While Osimhen’s absence was clarified, Chelle remained tight-lipped on why Arsenal’s Alex Iwobi, a key leader in the squad, was not among the takers.
“Each player’s role is based on preparation and readiness. Lookman was designated as our fifth taker,” he said.
“As for Iwobi, some discussions must stay within the team.”
The Malian tactician emphasized that penalty selections are influenced by training performance and psychological readiness. Reflecting on Nigeria’s subsequent victory over Egypt in the third-place playoff, Chelle explained his decision-making process:
“In that match, I assigned penalties to those ready to embrace responsibility.”
Despite the semifinal disappointment, Nigeria salvaged bronze by defeating Egypt in another shootout, ending their AFCON campaign on a positive note.
