Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle has revealed that his coaching career could have come to an abrupt end had Nigeria failed to defeat Egypt in the third-place match at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Nigeria claimed the bronze medal after edging past Egypt 4–2 on penalties following a goalless draw at the end of regulation time, a result that brought significant relief to the players and technical crew after a gruelling tournament.
Speaking after the encounter, Chelle admitted that the pressure surrounding the match was enormous and that a negative outcome would have carried serious personal and professional consequences.
“If we hadn’t finished third at that AFCON, I might have ended my coaching career,” Chelle said. “It would have been very hard for me to continue coaching.”
The victory over Egypt not only secured a podium finish for the Super Eagles but also helped restore belief in Chelle’s project. The coach is now focused on building on the positives from the tournament as Nigeria prepare for future international assignments.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
