Chelle: Super Eagles Focused on AFCON, Not World Cup Pain
Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle says he is confident Nigeria will move past the disappointment of missing out on the 2026 World Cup as they prepare to begin their Africa Cup of Nations campaign in Morocco.
The three-time African champions open their Group C fixtures against Tanzania Tuesday evening in Fes, and Chelle insists the focus is firmly on starting with a victory.
‘We are our first opponent, we need to focus on ourselves and take out outside noise,’ Chelle said at the official pre-match press briefing. ‘Of course, the World Cup miss is painful. Our first game is a big game, and the first game is very important. For sure we want to win this game.’
The coach stressed that this is not the time to dwell on World Cup qualifiers, adding: ‘For now, the most important thing is this tournament. 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.’
Chelle underlined the significance of the opening fixture, saying: ‘We are happy to be here. 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.
‘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.’
