Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has defended his decision to bring on Samuel Chukwueze for the penalty shootout in Nigeria’s 4-2 loss to Morocco, which ended the team’s hopes of reaching the continental final.
The match, played on Wednesday, ended 0-0 after 120 minutes of regulation and extra time.
During the shootout, misses from Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi proved costly, allowing Morocco to advance. Chukwueze, who was substituted during extra time, faced heavy criticism on social media for his miss.
At the post-match press conference, Chelle explained that the decision was based on training performance.
“I put Chukwueze for the penalty session because we did work in all training sessions for the penalties.
“With the statistics, the guys who kicked penalties were the best during the warm-ups; that is why we have these guys on the pitch, ” he said.
Chelle emphasised that all Eagles players who took part in the shootout had been among the top performers in practice, underscoring that his selection was guided by data rather than chance.
This is the second major penalty heartbreak for Nigeria in recent months.
In November 2025, the Eagles missed out on the 2026 World Cup after losing 4-3 on penalties to DR Congo in the African playoff final.
The loss to Morocco marks another setback for Chelle’s squad as they continue to seek continental glory.
