Chelle explains why Chukwueze was brought in for penalties

Super Eagles head coach, Éric Chelle, has defended his decision to introduce Samuel Chukwueze specifically for Nigeria’s penalty shootout against Morocco, insisting the call was guided by training performance and cold statistics, not sentiment.

Nigeria’s dream of reaching the final of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations ended on Wednesday night after the Super Eagles lost 4-2 on penalties to the host nation following a tense semi-final in Rabat.

The pulsating contest ended goalless after 90 minutes and an additional 30 minutes of extra time, with both teams locked in a battle of nerves, discipline and missed chances. But when the match was decided from the spot, misses from Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi proved decisive.

Chukwueze had been introduced late in extra time and did not feature in open play, with his only touch of the ball coming in the shootout — a penalty he failed to convert.

The move immediately triggered a wave of criticism from Nigerian fans across social media, with many questioning the wisdom of sending on a player cold to take one of the most important kicks of the tournament.

However, speaking at his post-match press conference, Chelle said the decision was not a gamble but the product of preparation.

“I put Chukwueze for the penalty session because we did work in all training sessions for the penalties,” the coach said.

“With the statistics, the guys who kicked penalties were the best during the warm-ups; that is why we had these guys on the pitch.”

Chelle added that every player selected to take a spot-kick ranked among the team’s most reliable penalty takers in training.

For many Nigerians, the shootout defeat reopened old wounds. Only two months earlier, the Super Eagles had lost 4-3 on penalties to DR Congo in the African playoffs final, a result that ended Nigeria’s bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

Once again, Nigeria’s continental journey was halted not by goals, but by the cruel lottery of penalties.