Super Eagles head coach, Eric Chelle, has justified his decision to introduce Samuel Chukwueze for the penalty shootout against Morocco, despite widespread criticism following Nigeria’s elimination.
Nigeria were defeated 4–2 on penalties by host nation Morocco on Wednesday after a tense semi-final clash that ended goalless after 120 minutes. Misses from Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi ultimately cost the Super Eagles a place in the final.
Chukwueze was introduced late in extra time and did not make a significant impact during open play, with his missed penalty being his only major contribution. The substitution sparked backlash from fans on social media, many of whom questioned the coach’s decision.
Addressing the criticism during his post-match press conference, Chelle explained that the decision was based on training data, describing Chukwueze as one of the team’s most reliable penalty takers during practice sessions. He added that all the players selected to take penalties were the top performers during training.
“We worked extensively on penalties in all our training sessions,” Chelle said. “Based on the statistics, the players who took the kicks were the best during warm-ups, which is why they were on the pitch.”
Nigeria’s struggles in penalty shootouts have persisted, as the team also suffered a similar fate in November 2025, when they lost 4–3 on penalties to DR Congo in the African playoffs, missing out on qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.