CHAN 2024: Senegal Deserved The Win – Chelle

CHAN 2024: Senegal Deserved The Win – Chelle

Sampson Adedeji

Nigeria head coach Eric Chelle has admitted that his side was second-best in their 1-0 defeat to Senegal in their African Nations Championship (CHAN) Group D opener at Amaan Stadium on Tuesday, BSNSports.com.ng reports.

Christian Gomis’ second-half strike sealed the win for Senegal in a game where both teams created chances but lacked precision in the final third.

“I think Senegal deserved this victory because we only played for about 20 minutes in the second half. In the first half, I didn’t recognize my team at all. Senegal was more aggressive, brought more intensity, and for me, they deserved the win more than us,” Chelle said after the match.

“In the second half, we gave away the goal with two little mistakes. Maybe mentally we weren’t in the game, maybe we were scared of something. We only enjoyed about 20 minutes when we really played football, created chances, but failed to score.

“To be ambitious, we need to be more aggressive. We must fight for every ball, especially the second balls. In the first half, we lost every ball. This is just our first match, we still have two more to go, but we need to change our mindset.”

Senegal’s decisive moment came in the 75th minute after a swift counter-attack. Substitute Moctar Koïté surged down the right flank and delivered a precise cross into the box, where Gomis arrived unmarked to calmly finish with his left foot.

The result puts Senegal at the top of Group D, while Nigeria will look to bounce back in their next fixture.