I got back to my accommodation around 2 a.m. local time, and only just woke up not too long ago. Getting out of bed felt like a struggle, but then my mind drifted back to last night’s match at Amaan Stadium. The memory hit me hard—I almost lost it all over again. I’m still trying to wrap my head around how that performance even happened. Wild, isn’t it?
Since Paul Aigbogun’s U20 side at the Poland edition of the World Cup, I can not remember a side that failed to impress in a major tournament. Even at that, they still got to the second round of the competition, but we have crashed out here after just two games, without a point or a goal. Incredible!
Eric Chelle should look at himself
Chelle was speaking in his post-match conference yesterday about how his side were so good in training, but they did not prepare for the mistakes that happened during the game.
“The game starts, and you are 20 minutes in, and the players are focused before scoring a goal. After that, we made a lot of mistakes, and we gave up the game. In the second half, four goals, four mistakes for me. This is the analysis of the game, and it’s our fault.“
The blame rests with everyone, but even more so with the head coach, who seemed intent on molding the players to his style after an 18-day training camp at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne, followed by a short camp in Zanzibar before the tournament began.
While it’s normal for a coach to have a preferred playing philosophy, it’s equally vital to ensure the players are capable of executing it at the required standard. After all, even the senior Super Eagles found it tough—needing Osimhen’s individual brilliance to edge past Rwanda and struggling against Zimbabwe in Uyo.
He applied the same approach with a squad he hardly knew, having been “thrust” into managing a team he hadn’t led through qualification. I had probably watched the team more than anyone else during camp, often sharing my concerns with our Chief Football Writer, Fisayo Dairo.
Despite his familiarity with numerous NPFL matches, Chelle abandoned the tactical setups best suited to his players and instead introduced an unfamiliar system that puzzled not only the squad but also the fans. In doing so, he became the architect of his downfall. Beyond the questionable formation, he frequently deployed players out of their natural positions—leading to some being dropped entirely during the camp.
I would likely have been more disappointed if the team had played in their familiar system and still lost, rather than what we’ve witnessed in Zanzibar over the past few days. This performance is far from the players’ true potential.
Meanwhile, Jabbar Malik, Qudus Akanni, and Alex Oyowah gatecrashed the CHAN camp, but we barely saw why they got drafted. The latter even got zero minutes in 180 minutes of football. Why? By the way, the NPFL golden boot winner from last season – Anas Yusuf – played a few minutes of the first game, and none against the Falcons of Jediane last night in Zanzibar. How do you explain that?
Chelle might not even get sacked for this CHAN performance, but failure in the upcoming September World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and South Africa will most likely get him that.
The players missed a one-time opportunity
“When you watch this game, this is not the best game of our lives. We did four mistakes and conceded four goals. During the training session, we were good, prepared, and analyzed the Sudan. The reality is that we prepared well, but not for the mistakes. We cannot play and give four goals, it is difficult,” Chelle responded to a question from me on what he said in the pre-match conference the day before.
The players squandered a golden chance to showcase their talent on the continental stage, lacking the desire and determination to make an impact. They appeared nervous, disjointed, and unable to function as a cohesive unit. On the rare occasion they did combine effectively, they found the back of the net—only for the goal to be disallowed for offside.
“I have seen good players among the squad, and I think they just need to be calm and take their time to build, and know when to attack. They are just in a rush and too much in a haste. So, they need to play together as a team,” Former CHAN Eagles star Ifeanyi Ifeanyi told ACLSports in an interview.
Dear NFF, CHAN na our own
For the NFF, Chelle should never have been tasked with leading the team in the first place. His appointment in January 2025 raised eyebrows, with many questioning the wisdom of bringing in the Franco-Malian at that point.
Even Gernot Rohr, who had been in charge of the Super Eagles for nearly two years after his 2016 appointment, did not directly handle the team at the 2018 CHAN. Instead, he played a supervisory role, making regular visits to the camp, while Salisu Yusuf managed the squad in Morocco and guided them to a runners-up finish.
Fidelis Ilechukwu and Daniel Ogunmodede should have been entrusted with leading the team at CHAN 2024. The pair successfully guided the side through the qualifiers against Ghana, and the team’s performance then was far better than what we are seeing now.
Given their deeper understanding of the domestic league players compared to Chelle, they were better suited for the job. Even NFF Technical Director Austin Eguavoen had previously allowed them to take charge while he focused on managing the senior national team on an interim basis.
What next?
Our stay in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda – PAMOJA tournament – is over, but we still have a game against Congo next Tuesday in Dar es Salaam. The players who have not seen minutes in the competition should be given a chance, while Chelle can start thinking about the World Cup qualifiers next month.
For the NPFL players as a whole, the new league campaign starts in a few weeks, and there are also continental matches for the four clubs in the CAF Champions League and CAF Confederation Cup.
