“I would have stopped” — Éric Chelle’s emotional AFCON confession

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Foot Africa

·18 janvier 2026

“I would have stopped” — Éric Chelle’s emotional AFCON confession

Chelle opens up on the night that nearly ended his career

“I would have stopped” — Chelle’s emotional AFCON confession

Vidéos OneFootball

Nigeria head coach Éric Chelle has revealed that defeat against Egypt in the AFCON 2025 third place play-off could have pushed him to step away from coaching.

Nigeria secured third place after beating Egypt 4 - 2 on penalties following goalless draw in Casablanca bouncing back from semi final heartbreak against hosts Morocco.

For Chelle, the result went far beyond podium finish:

“If we had not taken third place at Egypt’s expense, I would have stopped coaching” the Malian tactician admitted. “I say it honestly. It would have been very difficult for me to continue after that”

#CANALPLUSCAN : Eric Chelle très ému après avoir remporté la médaille de bronze avec les Super Eagles 🎙️
– samedi 17 janvier 2026

The 47 year old had already described the Egypt clash as must win encounter revealing that the pressure left him sleeping only three hour the night before kick-off.

“This match was psychological battle for me and for the players. We worked seriously to lift their morale” he explained.

Nigeria’s AFCON campaign had promised more. The Super Eagles impressed throughout the tournament but saw their title hopes end in the semi finals, again on penalties, against Morocco.

Chelle praised his squad’s response:

“Being a coach is never easy. I felt disappointment before but today I feel deep pride in these players. They gave everything until exhaustion. I am proud to be the coach of the Nigerian national team”

🇳🇬👏🏽 Huge appreciation to Eric Chelle for leading the Super Eagles with calm, courage and elite tactical clarity throughout #AFCON2025. • Games: 7 • Wins: 5 (Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Mozambique, Algeria) • Draws: 2 (vs Morocco — exited on penalties, Egypt — won on
– samedi 17 janvier 2026

For Chelle, the victory is part of wider project:

“This is not one night story. It is part of longer journey for the future of this team” he said. “We tried ideas, some worked, some did not but that is how teams grow”