Osimhen’s Sacrifice Sh*cked Me — Eric Chelle Reveals Tear-Jerking AFCON 2025 Experience

Speaking on RMC Sport’s After Foot, Chelle recounted a private conversation with Osimhen ahead of the third-place match against Egypt, at a time when the forward was struggling with injury concerns.

According to Chelle, he encouraged Osimhen to push for the bronze medal despite clearly seeing how much pain the striker was in. He told Osimhen how proud he was of his commitment and assured him of his personal support beyond football, stressing that he would always be there for him whenever needed.

The coach revealed that Osimhen’s reply overwhelmed him emotionally.

“He looked at me and said, ‘Coach, maybe you were a small coach before, but now you are a great coach,’” Chelle recalled. “That was when I broke down in tears. It became very difficult to continue training afterward.”

Despite playing through a persistent hamstring injury, Osimhen impressed throughout the tournament, scoring four goals and providing two assists in six appearances. His performances earned him a spot in CAF’s Team of the Tournament.

Nigeria enjoyed a strong AFCON run, finishing top of their group after victories over Tanzania, Tunisia, and Uganda. The Super Eagles then thrashed Mozambique 4-0 in the Round of 16 and beat Algeria 2-0 in the quarter-finals.

Their title hopes ended in the semi-final, where they lost to hosts Morocco on penalties following a goalless 120 minutes in Rabat. Nigeria, however, bounced back to defeat Egypt on penalties after another 0-0 draw in Casablanca, securing third place.

Chelle also addressed questions surrounding Osimhen’s absence from the penalty shootout against Morocco. He explained that the striker was substituted late in extra time due to fitness issues and personally informed him that he was unable to take a spot kick because of ankle pain.

“We practise penalties every training session and I have detailed statistics on each player,” Chelle said. “Victor came to me before the shootout and told me he couldn’t take one.”

Paul Onuachu scored Nigeria’s opening penalty, but misses from Samuel Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi allowed Morocco to advance.

The coach declined to comment on why Alex Iwobi did not take a penalty, insisting such decisions remain internal. He stressed that responsibility and accountability guide his choices during shootouts.

Reflecting on the semi-final loss, Chelle praised several players for their performances, highlighting Calvin Bassey’s defensive leadership and the efforts of full-backs Bruno Onyemaechi and Bright Osayi-Samuel.

Although disappointed by the result, Chelle described the clash with Morocco as one of the most intense matches of his career, citing the hostile atmosphere and packed stadium.

Bassey’s strong showing earned him a place in the AFCON 2025 Team of the Tournament, alongside Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen.