AFCON 2025
The home-based Super Eagles, the CHAN Eagles lost their first match at the African Nations Championship.
Eric Chelle’s men fell to a 1-0 loss to defending champions, Senegal at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar City.
Christian Gomis’ goal fifteen minutes to the end of regulation time made the difference on the night after a lapse in communication in defense.
The match ended 1-0 as the defending champions took maximum points and a clean sheet.
Here are some lessons from the CHAN Eagles narrow loss.
3 Lessons from CHAN Eagles loss to Senegal
1. Senegal not spectacular but better
Even though Senegal won the match, the Terenga Lions weren’t spectacular or exceptional. The defending champions didn’t outplay Nigeria but did the right thing at the right moments: winning second balls, physical duels and pouncing on opportunities – one of which led to the sole goal.
2. Eric Chelle’s Ego
Eric Chelle’s who apprarantly got the better of him in the tie. His 4-4-2 diamond formation appear not to suit the players as they struggled to properly interpret the system. The CHAN Eagles also found it difficult to create create chances. A 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 could have offered the team more creativity.
3. Chance of Improvement
The CHAN Eagles weren’t exactly poor. In some moments, they passed the ball around and looked pretty assured on the ball. However, they struggled in the final third. A few changes in Personels could help the team especially with chance creation. Remo Stars’ Haruna Hadi and Ikorodu City’s Shola Adelani’s creativity might just be what the team needs.
