AFCON 2025: ‘Ask my Federation’ – Eric Chelle on bonuses crisis in Super Eagles’ camp

Super Eagles coach, Eric Chelle, has refused to respond to questions about the team’s bonuses before Nigeria’s quarterfinal match at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

The game against Algeria’s Desert Warriors is set to take place on Saturday.

Nigeria’s preparations for the game was affected by a disagreement about bonuses, which made the players skip training before their trip to Marrakesh on Thursday.

At the pre-match press conference, Chelle was asked about the difficulty of changing the team’s atmosphere from negative to positive, especially considering the problems the team has been facing, like conflicts with the Nigeria Football Federation.

“This is my job, to focus only on the pitch and not get distracted by anything else. Chelle told reporters that you can discuss the energy and also talk about the state of mind, and the most important part is the state of mind.”

Chelle further talked about how united the Super Eagles team is, saying the players have shown strong teamwork and support for each other even through the tough times they have had.

“The group has stayed very united, so whenever you take action, there are both positive and negative outcomes, but it’s important to keep your focus.

“The most important part is your goal and the team. In that case, our mood is positive. We are physically ready. I have to make some decisions on the field, and we’re also prepared from a technical standpoint.

“Once again, I just want to talk about what’s happening around this team, specifically the pitch. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask my Federation. I try to stay focused on the field and give my best effort and motivation to the team.”

Nigeria and Algeria have together won five Africa Cup of Nations titles.

Nigeria last won the trophy in 2013. Algeria won their most recent title in 2019.