CHAN 2024: Coach Chelle Blames Low Intensity for Nigeria’s Defeat to Senegal

Nigeria’s campaign at the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) got off to a shaky start after a 1-0 loss to Senegal in their Group D opener on Tuesday evening.

The match, played at the Amani Stadium in Tanzania, was decided by a second-half strike from Senegal’s Christian Gomis. The goal was enough to hand the West African rivals all three points, leaving Nigeria’s home-based Super Eagles under pressure heading into their next fixture.

Speaking after the game, Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle admitted that Senegal deserved the win. According to him, the Senegalese side showed more aggression and intensity throughout the match — something his team struggled to match.

“Senegal was more aggressive than us. They put more intensity than us, and for me, this is normal. They deserve this victory,” Chelle said in his post-match press conference.

He also pointed out a key moment in the second half where his team lost focus, which led to the only goal of the game.

“In the second half, we scored the goal. This was a small mistake. But this is normal because we never got into this game. Maybe mentally, or maybe we were scared about something,” he added.

With the loss behind them, Nigeria will look to bounce back when they face Sudan in their second Group D match next Tuesday. Chelle and his squad will be hoping for a better performance — both mentally and physically — as they fight to stay in the tournament.