Chelle targets winning start as Eagles, Taifa  Stars clash in Fes

Super Eagles head coach Eric Sekou Chelle has reiterated his determination to see Nigeria begin their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations campaign on a winning note, describing the opening group match against Tanzania as a crucial foundation for the tournament.

The Super Eagles face the Taifa Stars this evening at the Complexe Sportif de Fès, with Chelle insisting that the focus is firmly on securing maximum points.

 “This is a big game because it is the first game, and the first game is very important,” Chelle said during his pre-match press conference yesterday. “For sure, we want to win this game.”

The Franco- Malian tactician stressed that Nigeria’s ambition at the tournament must be evident from the outset, adding that the team is fully prepared to compete with confidence and purpose.

Responding to speculation that his future could depend on Nigeria’s AFCON outing, Chelle refused to be distracted, emphasizing his commitment to the task at hand.

 “I’m only focused on the game and my players,” he said. “After the AFCON, we’ll have a meeting with the NFF. For now, we stay focused on the first game. We want to show our ambition.”

Chelle also played down concerns over the absence of some key defensive figures, expressing strong belief in the players available to him: “Of course I prefer that they’re here, but I’m with my players and I trust them. We have a big defense and we work a lot on that. When we want to defend, it’s not only about the defenders. Everybody is focused on that and we’re ready to play this game.”

He  further underlined the importance of concentration and self-belief, warning against complacency. “The most important thing is to stay focused on us because the first opponent is us,” Chelle remarked.

Despite Nigeria’s recent failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Chelle insisted that past disappointments have no place in the team’s current mind-set.

“We have a tournament and we’re here to be ambitious,” he said. “I don’t have the time to think about what happened before. The most important thing is the next game.”

Nigeria will kick off their Group C campaign against Tanzania at 6:30 PM, before Tunisia and Uganda clash later in the day.