Chelle surprised by TotalEnergies CHAN intensity, urges Nigeria to bounce back

Nigeria's CHAN head coach, Eric Chelle, has hailed the exceptional intensity and quality of the 2024 TotalEnergies African Nations Championship (CHAN) after his side suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to defending champions Senegal in their Group C opener.

The result may have been disappointing for Nigeria, who returned to the competition after a four-year absence, but Chelle was quick to underline his admiration for the tournament’s high tempo and quality—elements he admitted took him by surprise.

“I am surprised about the intensity,” Chelle said, reflecting on a match that showcased the technical levels of both teams. “There are a lot of good teams and a lot of quality. I think the pitches are very good, allowing for fast-paced and technical football. This would be a great CHAN competition.”

Nigeria had missed out on the past two editions of the CHAN (2020 and 2022) despite previously strong showings in 2014, 2016, and 2018.

Now back in the fold, Chelle’s side entered the match with high hopes but fell short against a well-drilled Senegalese team, who scored the decisive goal in the 75th minute.

The coach was forthright in his post-match analysis, describing the goal as “self-inflicted” due to a defensive error and lamenting his side’s lack of urgency, especially in the first half.

“Senegal deserved their victory because we just played 20 minutes in the second half,” he said. “During the first half, I didn’t recognize my team. Senegal was more aggressive than us, they put more intensity, and it’s very normal for them to go ahead and win.”

While acknowledging his team’s improved performance in the second half, Chelle stressed that short bursts of quality were not enough to win matches at this level.

“When we started playing, we created chances, kept the ball well, and showed glimpses of our attacking flair,” he said.

“But we need to be more ambitious and aggressive, to press higher up the pitch and win the ball back quickly.”

The defeat leaves Nigeria in a precarious position, needing a win in their second group game against Sudan to remain in contention for qualification.

Chelle emphasized the importance of a shift in mentality and a more proactive approach if his side is to bounce back.

“We need to change our state of mind,” he said. “We need to be more aggressive, to dominate possession and create scoring opportunities. You simply can’t win matches if you lose all duels, especially in the midfield. We created no chances in the first half. We cannot let that happen.”

Chelle’s honesty extended to his own role in the result, as he accepted responsibility for the team’s performance and pledged to rally his squad for the crucial clash ahead.

“I don’t want to fault my players. I take responsibility,” he said. “I must remind my players that this is football. We should have a warrior’s mentality, to fight for every ball and never give up. I hope we win the second game.”

Despite the opening setback, Chelle remained optimistic about Nigeria’s chances of advancing, pointing to the team’s potential and the lessons learned from facing one of the tournament favourites.

“In the first presser, I said Senegal was the big team, and equally said we’ll like to take it game after game,” he concluded. “In a week’s time, we need to win the second game if we want to give ourselves hope.”

As Nigeria prepares for their must-win tie against Sudan, Chelle’s words echo the challenge ahead—not only to win, but to meet the intensity and standard already set by the competition’s front-runners.