Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has said his full attention is on starting the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a win, as the Super Eagles face Tanzania in their Group C opener on Tuesday.
The match takes place at the Complexe Sportif de Fès, with Nigeria aiming to replicate the success of their 1980 AFCON opener, when they defeated Tanzania 3–1 en route to their first continental title.
“We’re happy to be here. This a big game because this is the first game and the first game is very important. For sure, we want to win this game,” Chelle said at his pre-match press conference.
Photo Credit: CAF
The Malian coach was asked about speculation over his long-term future as head coach but declined to comment, emphasizing that his focus remains on the Super Eagles and the tournament itself.
“I’m only focused on the game and my players. After the AFCON, we’ll have a meeting with the NFF. For now, we stay focused on the first game. We want to show our ambition.”
Nigeria will be without a number of defenders, including Ola Aina (hamstring) and Benjamin Fredrick (knee), while former captain William Troost-Ekong has retired. Chelle expressed confidence in the players available.
“I’m not worried, I’m trusting my players. Of course I prefer that they’re here but I’m with my players and I trust them. We have a big defense, we work a lot on that. When we want to defend it’s not only about the defenders. Everybody is focused on that and we’re ready to play this game.”
Photo Credit: NFF Comms
Chelle also stressed that the Super Eagles must concentrate on their own game rather than external factors.
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“The most important thing is to stay focused on us because the first opponent is us.”
“We have a tournament and we’re here to be ambitious. I don’t have the time to think about what happened before. I prefer to stay focused on what happens right now. This is not the time to talk about the World Cup qualifiers and the last game. The most important is the next game.”
Match details
Competition: AFCON 2025, Group C
Fixture: Nigeria vs Tanzania
Date & Time: Tuesday, 6:30 PM
Venue: Complexe Sportif de Fès, Morocco
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The Super Eagles open their campaign aiming to establish early momentum in a group that also features Tunisia and Uganda.
