Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has stated that his full attention is on securing a positive start to Nigeria’s 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign, with victory the sole objective in Tuesday’s opening fixture against Tanzania.
The Super Eagles will take on Tanzania at the Complexe Sportif de Fès, aiming to replicate the success of the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations when Nigeria began their campaign with a 3–1 win over the Taifa Stars and went on to claim their first continental crown.
“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,” Eric Chelle said in his pre-match press conference.
There have been suggestions that Nigeria’s showing at the Africa Cup of Nations could influence Chelle’s long-term future as Super Eagles head coach. However, the Malian tactician declined to be drawn on the matter, insisting that his full focus remains on the match at hand and the tournament as a whole.
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“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.”
The Super Eagles will be without some familiar faces in defence, with Ola Aina sidelined as he continues his recovery from a hamstring injury, youngster Benjamin Fredrick ruled out with a knee problem, and former captain William Troost-Ekong having officially announced his international retirement a few weeks ago.
On the absentees, Chelle said: “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.”
Chelle further stressed the importance of the Super Eagles focusing on their own game: “The most important thing is to stay focused on us because the first opponent is us.”
The Super Eagles recently missed out on qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, losing to DR Congo in the CAF playoffs final. Nevertheless, Eric Chelle insists his attention is fully on the Africa Cup of Nations, rather than past disappointments.
“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.”
Kickoff for Nigeria’s opening Group C clash against Tanzania is set for 6:30 PM, while the other group fixture sees The Carthage Eagles of Tunisia face The Cranes of Uganda by 9:00 PM.
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