Coach Eric Sekou Chelle has questioned the mentality of the Super Eagles B team after their 1-0 loss to Senegal on Tuesday in Zanzibar.
Chelle acknowledged that defending CHAN champions Senegal deserved the win, noting that his side was second-best for most of their tournament opener at Amaan Stadium. Christian Gomis’ second-half strike sealed the victory for Senegal in a game where both teams created chances but struggled with finishing.
“I think Senegal deserved this victory because we only played well 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.
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He added: “In the second half, we gave away the goal with two small 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 mind-set.”
Senegal’s winning goal came in the 75th minute following a swift counter-attack. Substitute Moctar Koïté drove down the right flank and delivered a precise cross into the box, where Gomis arrived unmarked to finish calmly with his left foot.
The result leaves Senegal atop Group D, while Nigeria will aim to bounce back in their next fixture.
