By Amaechi Agbo

Super Eagles coach, Eric Chelle has tender an apology to Nigerians following the B team’s exit from the 2025 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) but insists that the team was not ready for the tournment

Nigeria bowed out of the tournament despite recording a 2-0 win against Congo in their last Group D game on Tuesday

His side’s 2-0 win at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam not only denied Congo progression but also offered Chelle a bittersweet sense of what might have been.

“We showed our technical ability in the last part of the match, but we lost several balls before that,” Chelle reflected.

“In any case, we played well. Our performance was great and we deserved to win the match. I really feel sorry because our last match was good, but the previous two matches had mistakes.

“Our deep regret stems from our heavy defeat to Sudan, but that’s football. We will carefully analyze the Sudan match to make up for what happened in the future, We weren’t ready to participate in this tournament. Whoever attends our training sessions will notice that our players weren’t mentally prepared to participate in this version of the tournament.” Chelle admitted

Chelle’s regret was palpable, but so too was his admiration for a group of players he described as “young cubs” finding their way under heavy pressure.

While Nigeria’s elimination was confirmed, the coach took pride in the manner his players approached their final outing. To him, the victory carried significance beyond the scoreboard.

“I don’t think my cubs let me down,” Chelle stressed.

“The pressure was high on these young players, and they sometimes played scared. But during the last match against Congo, they played for honor, and that’s why they performed well.

“Letdown doesn’t come from winning this match. Our players responded to the previous results and said they didn’t want to go home with zero points.

That resilience, he argued, will form the foundation for a stronger future, especially as the team recovers from their heaviest blow—the loss to Sudan.

“Our deep regret stems from our heavy defeat to Sudan, but that’s football.

“We will carefully analyze the Sudan match to make up for what happened in the future,” Chelle admitted.

Beyond tactics and desire, Chelle pointed to structural weaknesses that handicapped his team long before the tournament began.

A lack of extended preparation and a hastily assembled squad left the Eagles at a disadvantage compared to rivals.

“The preparations for a CHAN tournament should start a year in advance,” Chelle explained.

“For example, the player who won the Man of the Match award against Congo, Alex, I put him on our list for the tournament a week before we left, and everyone said, ‘Why did you call him up when he’s not known?’

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