Nigeria Super Eagles B coach Eric Chelle has defended his squad for the African Nations Championship in Zanzibar despite a crushing 4-0 defeat to Sudan that sealed the team’s elimination from the tournament.
Chelle insisted the players were the best available from the Nigeria Premier Football League, stressing that his choices were made on merit. “Even if the outcome was disappointing, the squad was chosen to represent the best of the league,” the Franco-Malian coach said.
He revealed that several changes to his initial plans had been forced by player departures. “Maybe five players left the camp or never came at all. They left to play in another league. So the team was not like we imagined. But the reality for me is it was the best player in the league,” he explained.
Nigeria’s hopes were dashed as Sudan surged to a 2-0 lead before the break and added two more in the second half. Yagoub Omer struck twice after the interval to complete the rout, punishing repeated defensive errors.
Chelle admitted the Eagles started brightly but quickly lost their shape. “We scored a goal, but after that we made a lot of mistakes and gave up the game in the second half. Four goals, four mistakes for me,” he said, noting that positioning errors and lapses in focus had cost them in both matches so far.
“It’s difficult at this level of competition. We need to be more focused,” Chelle added, urging the players to treat the experience as a lesson.
Nigeria now face Congo in their final Group D match next week, with nothing but pride at stake.