In an interview, Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle talked about a tearful conversation he had with Victor Osimhen during Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign in Morocco.
Chelle recalled a touching chat with the striker during Osimhen’s injury struggles, just before Nigeria’s third-place playoff match against Egypt, on RMC Sport’s After Foot.
It was imperative that we aim for third place, I informed him. But it was obvious to me that he was hurt and that nothing was going smoothly. “I am proud of what you have accomplished since I took over this team,” I consequently informed him. “You can call me at any time, and I’ll come if you need me,” Chelle added.
He called the occasion one of the most emotional in his management career and disclosed that Osimhen’s response made him cry.
“He looked at me and said, ‘Coach, you may have been a small coach, but now you are a great coach,’” Chelle said. It was then that I started crying. Admittedly, continuing on to training was challenging.
Osimhen had a remarkable tournament, scoring four goals and dishing out two assists in six games despite suffering a hamstring ailment. He made the CAF Team of the Tournament because of his performances.
Nigeria’s run at AFCON 2025 was consistently successful.
After defeating Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda to win their group, the Super Eagles routed Mozambique 4-0 in the Round of 16 and defeated Algeria 2-0 in the quarterfinals.
When Nigeria fell to host Morocco on penalties following a goalless 120 minutes in Rabat, their campaign came to a standstill.
To win the bronze, the squad reacted by defeating Egypt 4-2 on penalties following a further 0-0 draw in Casablanca.
