AFCON 2025: We were not at the same level — Eric Chelle explains why Super Eagles lost to Morocco

Nigeria's hopes of a fourth AFCON title were dashed by hosts Morocco, who prevailed 4-2 on penalties after a tense 120 minutes of football on Wednesday night.

Eric Chelle's men had won all five games heading into this clash and were fancied by many to topple the hosts and head to the final.

The match, billed as a "final before the final," saw the free-scoring Super Eagles stifled by a disciplined Moroccan defense and a partisan home crowd of 65,000. While Nigeria had netted 14 goals leading up to the clash, they struggled to find their usual rhythm against the Atlas Lions.

With neither team able to break the deadlock, the clash ultimately came down to a lottery of penalties, where Nigeria ultimately fell short.

Speaking to reporters during his post-match interview, Chelle admitted that his side lacked the physical edge that had defined their tournament run.

“We played this match with high pressing, because if you don’t press, you leave spaces and the situation becomes very complicated,” Chelle explained.

“From a technical point of view, the Super Eagles weren’t at the same level as we displayed in our other matches.

"I don’t want to say the reason was fatigue, but the truth is that we lacked movement and power.”

The defeat was particularly painful given the missed opportunities in the shootout, where Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi failed to convert.

Nigeria must now regroup for the third-place playoff against Egypt on Saturday, while Morocco advances to face Senegal in the grand finale.