Day 10 (Saturday, 27 December, 2025)
I AM writing this diary at 2 O’Clock in the morning of Sunday, 28 December, 2025, about three hours after Nigeria’s Super Eagles defeated Tunisia’s Carthage Eagles 3-2 in their second Group C match at the AFCON 2025 in Fez, Morocco on Saturday night, 27 December, 2025.
I got back to my hotel room from the Fez Stadium a short while ago and I decided to hit my i-Pad straightaway while the match was still very fresh in my mind. Courtesy of Super Eagles Official Sponsor, Mr.ChefNigeria, I will like to begin today’s diary with an Open Letter to Coach Eric Chelle. Here we go……
Open Letter To Coach Eric Chelle
Dear Coach Eric Chelle
Congratulations to you on a fantastic performance and victory by your team against Tunisia at the ongoing AFCON 2025. At halftime when the score line was only 1-0 in Nigeria’s favour, I posted a message on the Whatsapp platform of Family United by Sports (FUBS), arguably the most distinguished chat room of the most influential personalities in Nigerian sports.
It reads: “In my estimation, (this is) the best 45 minutes of football by the Super Eagles in four years. Let’s hope they keep it up in the second half.” That’s what I wrote.
On the same platform, another veteran journalist and sports historian, Emeka Obasi, also wrote: “Honestly, (I have) never seen the Eagles soar like this, in a decade. This is champagne football.”
I wrote that it was the Super Eagles best performance in four years; Emeka made it ten!
Coach, I have brought these two quotes to your attention because I noticed that you were unhappy at the post-match conference that the media didn’t seem to give you and your team enough credit for such a dominant display against Tunisia “for 75 minutes,” quoting you exactly. I sat in the front row in the conference room and I was raising my hand frantically to speak. Unfortunately, the CAF media coordinator, Malik, did not recognize me.
I was going to read to you my foregoing statement so that you know that many of us in the media appreciated fully your dominant performance against Tunisia. But as I wasn’t allowed to speak at the press conference, this open letter is my alternative route of getting my message across to you because, not only did you completely dominate the Tunisians for 45 minutes, you extended that dominance to the 75th minute by which time your boys had scored two more goals for a commanding 3-0 lead.
However, if I had been allowed to congratulate you at the presser, I would also have followed my congratulations with a question about the motivation behind your substitutions in the game. I noticed that the persistent questions from Nigerian journalists about those substitutions irritated you, but they are very valid questions because, the moment you made those changes, the Eagles lost control of the game.
Also Read: My AFCON Diary: Christmas Day Reflections From Morocco As Tournament Takes A Breather
I listened to your explanation about wanting to rest players who had been working hard for 75 minutes but, I’m sorry, your explanation was not convincing. Akor Adams upfront and Frank Onyeka in midfield whom you pulled out were the IRON AND STEEL of your team against Tunisia. Adams, alongside Victor Osimhen, kept Tunisia’s defenders constantly under pressure and they simply couldn’t take the ball off his feet. Meanwhile, Onyeka chased all the Tunisian midfielders away from the middle of the field. All first and second balls were won by Nigeria. Tunisia didn’t have any foothold in the game for 75 minutes as depicted by the 70 percent ball possession in Nigeria’s favour. But the moment you pulled out those two Trojans, Nigeria’s game collapsed.
Coach Chelle, there’s a popular proverb that says ‘If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.’ Your team had the game perfectly under control and those two substitutions were, in my opinion, needless. Your players are very strong lads. All of them could have lasted for 120 minutes in the cool Moroccan evening weather because they’re used to it in Europe. They had a strong rhythm to their game, but your substitutions disrupted that rhythm.
Suddenly, our center-backs, Simi Ajayi and Calvin Bassey, couldn’t build the play from the back anymore because our midfield had collapsed. They resorted to playing out long balls that surrendered possession to the Tunisians to launch wave after wave of attacks that eventually resulted in their two set-piece goals. You nearly threw away a comprehensive win, Coach, but thank God that your boys held out for a well deserved but narrow 3-2 victory.
Despite your mistake, I like your honesty and that is why I’m writing you this letter. I supported the FA’s correct decision not to sack you after Nigeria lost the FIFA World Cup ticket, and I stand by that decision. You said at the press conference that you “did some good things and some bad things” against Tunisia and that you will correct the bad things before the next game against Uganda.
I recall that you made a similar confession after our first match against Tanzania, and we all saw the corrections that you made which led to the improved performance against Tunisia. Two of those key corrections were your introduction of Bruno Onyemaechi in place of Zaidu Sanusi at right-back, and starting the workaholic Frank Onyeka in midfield.
Also Read: AFCON 2025 Diary Day 7: Inside Super Eagles’ Moroccan Kitchen, Jollof Rice & ‘Third World War’ Joke
I will like you to maintain your honesty by being flexible and open to correction as the tournament progresses. The Eagles’ 75-minute performance against Tunisia would have alerted everyone else that Nigeria is in Morocco for business as a serious contender for the AFCON 2025 title. If you avoid a repeat of the calamitous last 15 minutes plus injury time against Tunisia, the slogan “Nigeria 4 the Win” will come to pass.
Good luck.
I’m yours in football.
Dr. Mumini Alao.
Thank You, Captain Ndidi
I WILL like to thank Super Eagles captain, Wilfred Ndidi for listening to my advise on how he and his teammates should appreciate their supporters.
After their first win against Tanzania, the Eagles only clapped their hands above their heads briefly in the middle of the pitch and walked off without showing proper appreciation to the fans. After I brought the issue to Ndidi’s attention in a private chat at the post-match conference, he thanked me and assured me that they would do better in their subsequent games.
The captain kept his promise as I saw him herding his teammates close to where the Nigeria Football Supporters Club congregated in the stadium after the Tunisia game to say a proper Thank You. In truth, the supporters deserved special appreciation for this particular game because, despite being heavily outnumbered by the noisy Tunisians in the 25,544 crowd, they made their voices heard with the usual chants of “Inside the net…..Inside the net……..Over the bar………Over the bar.”
Particularly for Ndidi, the AFCON 2025 Group C match also carried special significance because he scored his first ever goal in a Super Eagles shirt and paired Frank Onyeka and Alex Iwobi to deliver Nigeria’s best 75-minute midfield performance in a long while. Well done, Captain Fantastic!
Lookman, Your Nickname Is “DANGEROUS”
I WALKED up to Ademola Lookman as he sat in the post-match conference room with his Man-of-the-Match trophy on the table in front of him. “Congratulations, Dangerous,” I said to him. “I’m giving you the nickname ‘Dangerous.'”
I’m not sure that Lookman heard me well, but he said “Thank You,” anyway.
Everybody talks about Victor Osimhen as the fulcrum of the Super Eagles attack. But I have held the view for some time now that, when he’s in form, Ademola Lookman is the ‘Most Dangerous’ striker in the Eagles since he broke into the team. Osimhen is a big top striker with no place to hide from stalking defenders. He can hardly surprise his opponents. But Lookman is a petit second striker whose skillful movements are difficult to track, and that’s what makes him so dangerous.
Remember his goals at the 2023 AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire? He would arrive in the box like a fox and finish with the precision of a deadly marksman. In Nigeria’s two games so far here in Morocco, he has recorded two goals and two assists already. Against Tanzania, his left-footed rocket won the game 2-1 for Nigeria. Against Tunisia, his precise cross landed on Osimhen’s head for the first goal; his deep “Arsenal-style” corner kick again was headed in by Wilfred Ndidi for the second goal; he then showed unnerving composure in the Tunisian box to score the third goal himself.
Against Tanzania, recall that I picked Lookman as my MVP although the official prize went to center back Simi Ajayi who also deserved it. But against Tunisia, there was no question about everyone’s choice for the MVP award. I’m sure that other teams will start paying more attention to Lookman as AFCON 2025 progresses. The boy is dangerous. His nickname is “Dangerous.”
Eagles Now Amongst The Favourites?
THE Super Eagles 75-minute masterclass against Tunisia is winning them new converts. Just before kickoff, Complete Sports reporter James Agberebi who sat with me in the media tribune was expressing his doubts about how far the Eagles could go in the tournament. But after they outplayed Tunisia hands down for so long, James is having a change of heart.
Two Ivorian journalists also commended the Eagles performance. One of them said to me in the media tribune: “Nigeria played solid. You have a very good team and you deserved to win today.” His colleague nodded in agreement.
“You’re the current champions, so we want to take your title,” I said to them which brought uneasy smiles to their faces.
It’s too early to speculate whether Nigeria might actually encounter the defending AFCON champions Côte d’Ivoire at this tournament, after losing to them in the final the last time out. What is certain, however, is that we have a four-way regional contest for the continental trophy. The North Africans are represented by Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia; West Africa is represented by Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali and Senegal; Central Africa is represented by Cameroun and a resurgent Democratic Republic of Congo; and Southern Africa is represented by South Africa.
Any of these 10 teams is capable of winning the tournament. In fact, the AFCON 2025 title has become so wide open that seven different countries have won the last eight editions starting from 2010. These are Egypt (2010), Zambia (2012), Nigeria (2013), Côte d’Ivoire (2015 and 2023), Cameroun (2017), Algeria (2019), and Senegal (2021). This statistic underlines the stiff competition for Africa’s biggest soccer prize in recent years as no one country is able to dominate the others as serial winners anymore.
Nigeria For Round Of 16
WITH the 3-2 win over Tunisia in Fez on Saturday, Nigeria in Group C joined Egypt in Group B as the first two countries to qualify for the Round of 16 with the maximum six points from their first two games. It also means that the Super Eagles will remain in Fez as group winners to face one of the third-placed teams from Group A, B or F on Monday, January 5, 2026.
Earlier on Saturday before Nigeria faced Tunisia, Benin Republic in Group D recorded their first ever win at an AFCON by beating Botswana 1-0 in Rabat. Defender Yohan Roche scored the historic goal in the 28th minute to put smiles on the faces of Nigeria’s western neighbors. Also in the same group, powerhouses Senegal had to come from behind to secure a 1-1 draw with Democratic Republic of Congo in Tanger. Cedric Bakambu put DRC ahead in the 61st minute, but Sadio Mane pulled the Teranga Lions level in the 69th minute to split the points.
Uganda and Tanzania, Nigeria’s Group C opponents also split the points in a 1-1 draw in their East African derby played in Rabat. Simon Msuva opened the scoring for Tanzania from the penalty spot in the 59th minute, but London-born Uche Ikpeazu of Nigerian parentage equalized for the Ugandan Cranes in the 80th minute. Uganda could then have won it, but Allan Okello shot a penalty kick opportunity over the bar.
Nigeria will face Uganda in their last Group C match on Tuesday in Fez, while Tunisia and Tanzania will square up in Rabat.
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By Mumini Alao, in Fez
Photos by Ganiyu Yusuf
4 Comments
To be very honest, I think it was crazy pulling off Frank Onyeka our best ball marker and winner when we needed him most to see off the response from Tunisia. Ndidi or Iwobi should hv been the ones to be replaced. We hv scored 3 goals up so we didnt need Iwobi again. Instead we should hv brought on dele Bashirun who is a better no 10 in terms marking, running with the ball and hold up play. Or better still switch to a 3; 5; 2 by bringing a third central defender. Poor substitutions will hv cost us that match. The coach ought to so better next time
Greed! That is one way of looking at it.
You see, Cheel is not stupid. He reckoned that Tunisia were desperate and would just start swinging for the fences in the dying minutes, leaving acres of free real estate at their rear for speedy, dribbling, dashing Nigeria wingers to heap more misery on Tunisia by scoring more goals.
But for selfishness of Ejuke ( a cabon copy of what he did against Egypt in Afcon 2022 by going for goal instead of laying it on a plate for Iheanacho) who elected to shoot from a tight angle rather than feed Osihmen to stab home, it would have worked!
Chelle smelt blood, he could just about envision the headlines: Nigeria Spells Tunisia in a 7:0 Thrashing.
However, he never banked on Tunisia waking up from their slumber.
Nothing Chelle did in his stating line up was a surprise: he has played Frank Onyeka as Right Centre Midfielders at least 3 times in the past.
He usually does it when he is willing to sacrifice offensive content for a more pragmatic, more defensive content. That said, doubt as to Onyeka’s goal scoring and all-round offensive threat is misplaced and underrated. Yes, he is no Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, but my Lord, Onyeka can hurt you offensively if you take him for granted.
Talking about Dele-Bashiru, I feel that in Chelle’s heart of heart, he would prefer Dele-Bashiru in that role. But Dele appears to play that role with a sort of grudge and reluctance whereas Frank Onyeka will always do as he is told, even if you ask him to replace Stanley Nwabali in goal.
I remember fans heavily condemning Chelle the first time he deployed Onyeka in that role in one of the qualifiers. I remember saying that Chelle will not change course and Onyeka, ever so industrious, will settle into that role.
Funny now that many fans on this platform who vehemently condemned Chelle for initially playing Onyeka there are the same ones condemning Chelle for substituting out Onyeka from same role last.
Fans are a fickle bunch!
Very true and correct assessment Dr Alao and 442. There is an obvious shortcomings in Eric Chelle’s games management.
You are very spot on in your assessment: Good tactical formation and drive for the best of 70mins and then poor changes and tactical collapse in last embers of the games supervised by Chelle. It is becoming too recurring in Chelle’s games: Starting from when he was Mali’s Coach at the last Afcon (2023 Qtr finals- Ivory Coast V Mali). His game management cost Mali, making wrong substitutions late on and urging his wards to keep attacking instead of defending his lead as extra times was just 2 minutes to end.
Against Zimbabwe in Uyo WCQ Md5- he again made the wrong substitutions bringing in attackers instead of midfielder or defender to replace a tired Ndidi and possibly Ekong. That cost Nigeria the home win that Nigeria desperately needed to claw back the points deficit SA and Benin had acquired at that stage.
Against Ghana in June 2025 in the Unity Cup, Nigeria appeared to be cruising with a 2 goals lead and then strangely he brings in Iheanacho and I think Musa instead of a Defensive midfielder to halt Ghana’s uptake in 2nd half and ended up conceding a goal and putting his defence under huge pressure for the remainder of the tie; and then the unpardonable removal of Akor who was tormenting the Tunisian defenders no end; and then Onyeka who held the midfield tight that the Tunisians ceded that area to SE when he was in the game.
If Onyeka was tired then you expect another Defensive midfielder replacement when you are leading 3-0: Onyedika, Tochukwu Nnadi, Akinsamiro and Usman Mohammed were all on the Bench sitting idly, so why bring another Attacker who cannot defend in the mold of Chidera Ejuke?
It is becoming too recurrent and I cannot cut Chelle some slack on this obvious deficiency in his managerial skills set! It was pardonable in his Zimbabwe fiasco as he was then new to his players then but he has now been with boys for a full year in charge now and such error of judgement cannot be accepted at this stage.
There is a wrong assumption on the part of many people about the timing of the substitutions. Oga Mumuni, I think you got this wrong with all due respect. For example, people criticized Chelle for his substitutions in the last match. They said that it was because he took off Onyeka that we got in trouble. They forgot that the Tunisians scored before Chelle made the substitution. They said Chelle should have brought in midfielders or defenders. Personally, it also looked strange to me.
But it seems that what he was trying to do was checkmate the Tunisians who had then switched tactics and were now using the flanks. That was how they got the goal. Nigeria’s high pressing kept them from going thr0ough the middle for 70 minutes. Chelle brought in players who could help on the flanks, also keep possession of the ball and starve the Tunisians thereby running down the clock and finally be an attacking threat upfront or cause the opponents to commit fouls for set pieces. At a point, it almost paid off as Ejuke had a glorious chance. If he had scored everyone will be praising Chelle now.