AFCON 2025
Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle has fired back at the Nigerian media after he was criticised for restricting media access to the team for three days.
The Franco-Malian manager while responding to a question on why the team has trained for three days without media access says he’s job is not to coach the national team for the media.
He added that he wants his team to work hard and stay focused ahead of the second round clash against Mozambique on Monday night.
He added that he and his media officer agreed to give Nigerian journalist an extra session even though the rule says one.
Eric Chelle went on to say he would be criticised for allowing unrestricted media if the Super Eagles losses.
“The question is very good because I have to tell something about that. You know my job is not to coach the national team for the media, you know the rules when you go to this tournament. It’s one session for a journalist. And because I respect this country, I respect you guys. With my media officer, we talked before the AFCON, and we were agreed about to give to the Nigerian journalists a second training session per week. So it means two training sessions public.”
“So for me it’s a good deal. But now we are not in holiday. I have to take care of my players, I have work. And this is not the question about against you, this is the question I want that my team stay focused. We have a goal, we have an objective. And if I open all of the training sessions for you, we can’t do that. You can come to not, but after that if we lose, media will say ‘Oh Eric is crazy, he opens the door every time.’ So we have everybody need to stay calm. This is not against you, this is to protect my players. I want that.”
