Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has named three Super Eagles stars who impressed him at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).

The three-time African champions enjoyed an impressive campaign in Morocco, finishing third after defeating Egypt in the third-place playoff.

Eric Chelle’s side had earlier lost to hosts Morocco on penalties in the semi-finals.

Speaking in an interview with RMC Sport, Chelle named Calvin Bassey, Bruno Onyemaechi, and Bright Osayi-Samuel among the players who were outstanding defensively for Nigeria.

“Calvin, you have the left-back Bruno Onyemaechi, who was playing really well,” Chelle said.

“You have the right-back Bright [Osayi-Samuel], who was also very impressive.

“These players might have lost the game, but they tried their best and put in all their effort. The question was whether I should follow the original plan or try making some changes and see what would happen.

“But I wasn’t sure that waiting would stop us from conceding two or three goals.”

Chelle also reflected on the tense atmosphere inside the stadium during the clash with the Atlas Lions.

“The stadium was packed with fans; it was really chaotic.

“I had never seen a match like that before—it was just amazing. I wasn’t sure that holding back would prevent more pain, so we decided to push forward. But if you watch the game, after fifteen minutes, we weren’t able to press effectively.”

WDN