Chelle Highlights Crowd Factor In Advice To Senegal Ahead Of AFCON Final

Following a heartbreaking semi-final exit against Morocco, Nigeria’s head coach, Eric Chelle, has issued a bold warning to Senegal’s Pape Thiaw ahead of Sunday’s AFCON final.

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Nigeria fell to the host nation in a 4-2 penalty shootout after a scoreless 120 minutes in Rabat. Moroccan keeper Yassine Bounou proved to be the difference-maker, saving crucial strikes from Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi.

While preparing for Saturday’s third-place match against Egypt, Chelle took a moment to share his insights on the upcoming Senegal-Morocco title clash.

“I really appreciate both coaches; I don’t really have any advice to give. But I would simply tell Pape (Thiaw) of Senegal that he is going to play an away game… and that it’s not just any away game,” Chelle told reporters at Mohammed V Stadium.

“It’s much more than that. The stadium is impressive with the huge crowd. This crowd carries its team… we often say that it plays the role of the twelfth man, but here, it plays more than that.

“Senegal will have to stay focused. I wish both teams good luck, they both deserve to win this trophy. As an African, I am very proud of what they have achieved.”

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Turning to the upcoming match against Egypt, Chelle emphasized that the team’s primary goal is to secure the bronze medal. This would serve as a consolation prize following their inability to reach the final for two consecutive tournaments. Nigeria previously made it to the 2023 final, where they ultimately suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Ivory Coast.

“This match is important. We want to win it and return to Nigeria with the bronze medal. Third place would be a reward for the work put in, the effort made, and the team’s performance during this AFCON,” added Chelle.

“It’s never easy to prepare after a semi-final elimination, but we want to secure this victory and finish the tournament on a positive note. The most important thing is to learn from defeats, draw lessons from them and move forward.”

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