Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has revealed why he brought on Samuel Chukwueze and Moses Simon during Nigeria’s tough penalty shootout loss to Morocco in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations semifinals.
There was no goal in the regulation time, leading the game to extra time and a penalty shootout, where Morocco beat Nigeria 4-0.
With seven minutes left in the game, Paris FC’s key player, Simon, came on as a substitute to replace Raphael Onyedika, who had started despite not performing well.
Super Eagles captain, Wilfred Ndidi, did not play because he was suspended.
In the final moments of extra time, Chelle made another strategic change by replacing Brentford’s Frank Onyeka with Chukwueze, a move that suggested Chukwueze might play a key role in the upcoming penalty shootout.
After the game, during the press conference, Chelle was asked if his decisions to substitute players against Morocco were exactly right or if they were a bit off.
The Malian replied, “As I mentioned before, we usually play a 4-4-2 formation, and I thought it was tough to push high pressure.
“That’s why I brought on Moses. After that, I brought on Chukwueze for the penalty shootout. We practiced for the penalty kicks, and according to the stats, the players who stepped up in the shootout were the top performers from the past month. That’s why we put him on the field.”
Chukwueze was in tears and was comforted by his teammates and the coaching staff as he left the field after Nigeria’s sad and disappointing loss to Morocco.
