Sports
Why I Brought on Chukwueze for Penalties — Chelle
Nigeria’s Super Eagles fell short in Wednesday’s clash with Morocco, losing 4-2 in a penalty shootout after a goalless 120 minutes. Missed penalties from Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi proved decisive, drawing heavy criticism for the late substitution of Chukwueze.
At the post-match press conference, head coach Eric Chelle defended his decision, citing training performance and statistics.
“Chukwueze was one of our best penalty takers during practice, and my decision came from the statistics we collected,” Chelle said. “All the players who took penalties in the shootout were our top performers in training sessions. That guided the choices on the pitch.”
The defeat follows another painful shootout loss for Nigeria. In November 2025, the Eagles lost 4-3 to DR Congo in the African playoff final for the 2026 World Cup.