Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has defended his decision to introduce Samuel Chukwueze for Nigeria’s penalty shootout against Morocco, insisting the call was based on training data and performance statistics.
Nigeria missed out on a place in the final on Wednesday after losing 4-2 on penalties to hosts Morocco.
The tightly contested encounter ended goalless after 120 minutes, before misses from Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi proved costly in the shootout.
Chukwueze was introduced late in extra time and did not feature in open play, with his only involvement being the missed penalty.
The decision sparked widespread criticism from Nigerian fans on social media, many questioning Chelle’s judgment.
Addressing the issue at his post-match press conference, the coach explained that Chukwueze had earned his place based on his penalty record in training.
“I put Chukwueze for the penalty session because we did work in all training sessions for the penalties,” Chelle 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 added that every Super Eagles player selected to take a penalty during the shootout ranked among the team’s most reliable takers in practice.
The defeat revived painful memories for Nigerian fans, as penalty shootouts have recently denied the country major qualification hopes.
In November 2025, the Super Eagles lost 4-3 on penalties to DR Congo in the final of the African playoffs, a result that cost Nigeria a place at the 2026 World Cup.
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