Chelle Says Super Eagles Will Keep Improving After AFCON 2025 Campaign

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle insists Nigeria will continue to improve after their strong showing at the AFCON 2025 tournament concluded with a third-place finish following a 4–2 penalty shootout victory over Egypt.

Chelle praised the collective effort of his players, emphasising the progress the team has made across the competition and the work put in during preparations. “What we achieved did not come by chance,” he said, highlighting the hard work, unity and patience that underpinned their performance throughout the tournament.

Despite facing both successes and challenges on their path, Chelle said the experiences gained — including tactical experimentation and learning from setbacks — will serve as a foundation for future growth. “We will build on this experience… this team has character, commitment and a strong future ahead,” he added.

Chelle’s comments reflect belief in the long-term development of the Super Eagles as they aim to compete at higher levels in forthcoming competitions.

EDITORIAL

There are moments in football where the scoreline fails to convey the full measure of progress — where a team’s journey, its tactical maturation and psychological resilience narrate a story richer than mere results. Such is the context of the Super Eagles’ AFCON 2025 campaign, and it is precisely this narrative that Eric Chelle sought to articulate when he spoke of continuous improvement.

To speak of “getting better” is not to consort with complacency but to acknowledge evolution. Nigeria’s run through Morocco was marked by attacking verve, defensive organisation and a capacity to adapt — from the group stages right through to a hard-fought third-place playoff against Egypt. The bronze medal, while not the ultimate prize, stands as a testament to a team that has begun to knit its collective identity together under unprecedented pressure.

Chelle’s reflections reveal something fundamental progress in football is incremental. It is forged through work ethic as much as tactical ingenuity, and through a willingness to absorb lessons from both triumphs and setbacks. This Super Eagles side, in its on-field cohesion and spirited performances, exhibited both. To remain steadfast in improvement — to welcome challenges as opportunities for refinement — is the hallmark of teams that eventually transcend mere contention to genuine contention for honours.

Yet it would be naïve to romanticise the journey. There were moments in Morocco where precision faltered and margins slipped away — most notably in the semifinal penalty shootout defeat to hosts Morocco, a game that underlined the fine line between glory and disappointment. But Chelle’s gratitude for collective effort and his strategic patience embody the kind of leadership that nurtures belief without illusion.

As the Super Eagles emerge from this AFCON with their bronze and belief intact, Chelle’s mantra of ongoing improvement should be less a platitude and more a roadmap — one that future opponents with greater trophies will need to reckon with. In football, as in life, growth is sustained not by reciting past success but by building on it and for a Nigeria side poised between legacy and aspiration, this campaign may well be remembered not for what was missed, but for what it promises.

DID YOU KNOW?

1. Nigeria secured third place at AFCON 2025 with a 4–2 penalty win over Egypt, extending their perfect record in third-place playoffs to nine wins from nine appearances.
2. Super Eagles scored a tournament-high 14 goals before their semifinal loss, showing strong attacking output across group and knockout stages.
3. Coach Eric Chelle believes tactical experimentation during AFCON — testing multiple approaches — was key to the team’s development.
4. Chelle has praised the character and commitment of his squad, saying their performance was a result of calm leadership and strong work ethic.
5. Wilfred Ndidi, the team captain, publicly backed Chelle’s continuation as coach, urging the Nigeria Football Federation to maintain continuity for future progress.