Egypt vs Nigeria: Chelle may not be the man, as Super Eagles win meaningless third-place match

Nigeria made it 17 podium finishes in AFCON history after beating Egypt in their third-place match on Saturday evening. 

The match itself had no standout moments, but the Super Eagles held their nerves to win the penalty shootout, banishing the ghosts of their semifinal loss to Morocco. 

It was Nigeria’s ninth bronze AFCON medal, making them the most successful nation in AFCON third-place games. 

With the match over, Pulse Sports Managing Editor, Joba Ogunwale, takes a look at the talking points from the game and what next for the Super Eagles.

If CAF needed a reason to discontinue third-place games at the AFCON, then this match has provided it. The third-place match is meaningless and a waste of time for everyone. 

It was clear that neither side was excited to be on the pitch, but they just had to play due to contractual obligations. 

However, the third-place serves no purpose, and CAF is better channelling the resources they use in organising the game into other things. 

The fact that there was no extra time after the game ended in a draw showed that CAF itself does not take the third-place match seriously. 

Even the coaches were not invested in the match despite their claims in the pre-match press conference on Friday. 

Nigeria’s coach, Eric Chelle, dropped Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman and Alex Iwobi, showing he never took the match seriously, having said his side would go for the win. 

Everything we saw today showed that the third-place game at AFCON is no longer needed, so it’s time for CAF to abolish it. 

Coming into the tournament, Chelle was not popular among Nigerians after failing to lead the team to World Cup qualification, even though it was not all his fault. 

However, in this competition, he has been able to convince many Nigerians that he might be the real deal. Under his watch, the Super Eagles played their best football in years, but it was not just that. 

While the Super Eagles played exciting football, it was the way they did it. They looked like a team with an identity and dominated most of their games, which is something the team has been lacking in a while. 

However, the performance against Morocco raised questions about Chelle’s ability. While some may argue that he should not be judged on one match, his in-game management has always been suspect. 

It showed in the World Cup qualifying playoff against DR Congo, and then was exposed in the semifinal clash against the Atlas Lions. 

The team’s performance against Egypt also did not help his cause, although it will be unfair to judge him today, considering the team was not up for it. 

Now that the AFCON is over for the Super Eagles, it’s going to be a long few months for them because they have no major competition to play for after failing to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. 

Although they might play a few friendly games between March and June, the Super Eagles will not play another competitive game until the AFCON 2027 qualifiers start later this year. 

A shame that fans will not get to see this talented group of players.