By Wale Mustapha
Nigeria head coach, Eric Chelle, has confirmed that changes will be made to his lineup as Nigeria face Congo in their final African Nations Championship (CHAN) group game on Tuesday in Dar es Salaam.
Nigeria’s home-based Eagles have endured a disappointing campaign, suffering back-to-back defeats in their opening two fixtures to crash out of contention for a knockout spot.
Speaking at a press conference, Chelle admitted that mistakes had undermined the team’s earlier performances but stressed that pride and honour now serve as the key motivation going into their last group outing.
“For this game, there will be some changes because we lost two games, and we need to change something,” Chelle stated. “We left Zanzibar immediately after the game against Sudan. We are now fully focused on our honour ahead of tomorrow’s match.”
The Franco-Malian tactician further assured fans that his players would fight to restore some dignity despite the team’s early exit.
“We made a lot of mistakes in the previous games, and the tournament is done, but we need to go back with something. A win will mean a lot for us and Nigerian football,” he added.
Nigeria will be aiming to avoid a third straight defeat at the CHAN finals, while Congo will be seeking a result to strengthen their own tournament ambitions.
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.
