Rabat – Nigeria’s head coach, Erik Chel, gave a heartfelt statement after his team secured third place at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) by defeating Egypt on penalties.
The match ended 0-0 in regular time before Nigeria won 4-2 in the penalty shootout.
Chel admitted that the outcome was deeply personal for him. He revealed that if Nigeria had lost the bronze medal match, he might have considered retiring from coaching.
Speaking in the press conference after the Egypt game, he said: “On a personal level, I don’t know if I should say this now, but I will. If we hadn’t taken third place, it might have been difficult for me to continue as a coach.”
Reflecting on his career, Chel recalled his first AFCON with Mali, where he believed his team played the best football but still exited in the quarterfinals.
He explained that similar frustrations returned this year: “We were the team with the best style and philosophy, but failure comes again. It would have been difficult to continue. Yes, I could have stopped coaching. Maybe I would have worked in development or as a technical director with a national team.”
Visibly moved, Chel praised his players for giving him what he called a “wonderful gift.” He added, “I promised my father and mother I would bring back the AFCON trophy. I say to them now: I am sorry. I only returned with third place, but for me, this is still something good.”
Nigeria’s win over Egypt ensures they finish the tournament on a positive note, while Egypt settles for fourth place.
