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The Digest:

Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has explained his decision to bring on Samuel Chukwueze specifically for the penalty shootout against Morocco

Key Points:
  • Eric Chelle substituted Samuel Chukwueze late in extra time for the penalty shootout.
  • Chukwueze missed his kick, contributing to Nigeria’s 4-2 shootout loss.
  • Chelle said the decision was based on Chukwueze being one of the best penalty takers in training.
  • He stated that all penalty takers selected were the “best” during practice sessions.
  • The substitution has drawn widespread criticism from Nigerian fans on social media.
  • This follows Nigeria’s penalty shootout loss to DR Congo in the 2025 World Cup qualifying.
  • Chelle’s explanation highlights the often painful gap between training data and live execution.
In the high-stakes theatre of penalties, the data from training can write the script, but only nerve can deliver the lines.

Source: Complete Sports, Soccernet