“Super Eagles Focused On Winning AFCON Group Opener” – Coach Eric Chelle

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle, on Monday, said that Nigeria wants to win its 2025 Africa Cup of Nations opener against Tanzania on Tuesday.

Mr Chelle disclosed this during the pre-match conference at the Fes Stadium on Monday, stating that the Super Eagles were happy to be in Morocco for the tournament. He also noted that winning the first game at any competition was important.

“We are happy to be here,” the coach said. “For this game, it is a big one because this is the first match of the AFCON and the first game is very important every time and for sure, we want to win this game.”

Answering a question about whether his future with the team was tied to Nigeria winning AFCON, Mr Chelle maintained that his focus at the moment was on the tournament.

He, however, acknowledged that he would have to sit with the Nigeria Football Federation after Morocco for clarity.

“I am only focused on this tournament, I will have a meeting with my football association about everything but my focus at the moment is about the tournament and my players,” Mr Chelle stated.

Speaking on the absence of William Troost-Ekong, Benjamin Fredrick and Ola Aina in the team’s defence for the AFCON, the former Mali gaffer said, “I am not worried. I trust my guys. Of course I would have loved to have all of the players in the team. We will work a lot on defence but it is not only about the defenders but all the players as a whole.”

Meanwhile, captain Wilfred Ndidi also emphasised on the desire to win the game against Tanzania, adding that a victory would set a momentum for the team throughout the tournament.

He also assured that the team members were in high spirits and that the players energised.

“This spirit in the camp is very high and we are very energised. This game is very important for us because it is the one that sets the momentum so everyone is ready — from the players to the staff — the focus is on this game and we are well prepared to win,” Ndidi said.

On the team’s goal in Morocco, the midfielder stressed that Nigeria set a high standard by reaching the final in Ivory Coast, adding that the team cannot go below that at this edition.

“There are a lot of lessons to learn from the AFCON in Ivory Coast where we set a standard getting into the final but we could not win the trophy. We cannot go below that. The standard is already high and the team is ready for that,” the Beşiktaş player said.

“Everybody is aware and in tune with what happened at Ivory Coast and not qualifying for the World Cup so we are focused on this tournament because it is another opportunity for us.”

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