By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Ahead of Nigeria’s opening match against defending champions Senegal in the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has dismissed suggestions that his side are favourites for the title, emphasizing a game-by-game approach.
Speaking at a pre-match press conference with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the former Mali manager made it clear that the team’s sole focus is on their first Group A encounter.
“I don’t want to talk about Congo or Sudan for now,” Chelle said when asked about Nigeria’s upcoming group opponents.
“Our focus is on our first match tomorrow. We want to take each game as it comes—step by step. Now, we face Senegal before we can talk about Congo and Sudan.”
Addressing the high-profile nature of the clash against Senegal, Chelle dismissed suggestions of a derby rivalry, while acknowledging the strength of their opponents.
“I don’t think it’s a derby, but it’s a game between two big countries in African football,” he said.
“Senegal have a good generation and a good team. Our preparation for this match has been solid, and we’ll look to implement everything we’ve worked on.”
The 2024 edition of the TotalEnergies CAF African Nations Championship (CHAN) is set to make history, as it will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania from August 2 to 30, 2025.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career 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.
