Super Eagles coach, Eric Chelle has mentioned the three players who stood out for him during the Africa Cup of Nations semifinal match against Morocco.
Nigeria lost to the host team, Morocco in the semifinals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations on January 14, as the match was decided by a penalty shootout.
Nigeria played defensively against strong opponents in the 2025 Afcon and had their worst attacking game, managing only two shots throughout the entire 120 minutes of the match.
Veteran goalkeeper, Yassine Bounou was the hero in the shootout, saving penalty kicks from Bruno Onyemaechi and Samuel Chukwueze.
Nigeria’s main forwards, Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman, did not get much support or chances because Alex Iwobi could not control the midfield play.
During Chelle’s recent appearance on RMC Sport’s After Foot, the host mentioned that Nigeria could have lagged behind if it weren’t for Calvin Bassey’s outstanding play at the center of their defense.
Chelle quickly spoke up, pointing out that fullbacks, Bruno Onyemaechi and Bright Osayi-Samuel also did a great job.
“Calvin, you have the left-back Bruno Onyemaechi, who was playing really well,” Chelle said.
“You have the right-back Bright, who was also very impressive.
“These players might have lost the game, but they tried their best and put in all their effort. The question was if I should follow the original plan or try making some changes and see what happens.
“But I wasn’t sure that waiting would stop us from giving up two or three goals.”
Thinking about how tough the game was, Chelle said, “The stadium was packed with fans, it was really chaotic.
“I had never seen a match like that before; it was just amazing. I wasn’t sure that holding back would prevent more pain, so we decided to push forward. But if you watch the game, after fifteen minutes, we weren’t able to press effectively.”
Bassey was chosen in the official Team of the Tournament, along with his teammates, Lookman and Osimhen.