₦airaland Forum

joelsteron:
Chelle why now? You should have giving my Onyedika an assist just like Ndidi and onyeka and sacrifice one winger, Simon is useless now. He can't cross balls.

Moses Simon is dangerous.
All our wingers are not just good, but very good.

I am yet to watch the Uzoho of recent, but I must say that Nwabali's reflexes are very mature.
Nwabali's is important and vital to our play building from the back.
Nwabali's composure exudes confidence the kind that ripples throughout the defense.

Can Uzoho help build play from the back.
What is his level of aquaintance with Eric Chelle's philosophy and methods.

The following image reveals Chidera Ejuke's involvements defensively.
1 tackle, 2 clearances, 1 recovery.

Chidera Ejuke had 1 shot saved by the keeper.

I was dreading the flurry of attacks that might come from the Tunisians since the beginning of the game and voila it did come.
But contrary to popular opinion we stood more chance of scoring more goals than the Tunisians after the introduction of the wingers and that was what Chidera Ejuke and Moses Simon could have proven had the game lingered. (A lot of you might argue this but i know what i am saying)

Say all you can about Moses Simon, Moses is a very dangerous winger that can spin his magic anytime.

TheSuperNerd:
Ndidi was the CDM sitting in front of the defence and played full 90 + added time. Onyeka was his double pivot partner who was also policing the RCM channel and played 79mins.
So it is expected to have Ndidi record more defensive stats.

Saying Onyeka was not as involved is funny because after Ndidi (who played 90+), Onyeka had the next highest defensive contrubutions despite not finishing the game and despite not being the sitting CDM.

If there is anyone you should come for defensively, it is Iwobi, who recorded just one 1 defensive contribution for an entire 90mins+ display.

Onyeka was not as involved, period.
What is there to say or see again.
The gap is even wide: 1 tackle to 7 tackles, 3 duels won to 11 duels won.

Frank Onyeka made just one tackle for the entire 79 minutes of play time.
Wilfred Ndidi made most of his tackles on Frank Onyeka's wing.

Frank Onyeka is a fantastic player, and i am not even criticising him, i am just pointing to the sense in Eric Chelle's player substitutions.

TheSuperNerd:
Frank Onyeka with 7 defensive contribitions had more contributions to defence before being subbed out than anyone except Ndidi (12) and Bruno (7).

He also made more interceptions than anyone (4). One of such interceptions started the buildup for Nigeria's 3rd goal.

So you lie when you paint the fallacy that Onyeka was not involved defensively all in a bid to make Eric's Onyeka sub justified. Meliforme, you lie.

The following submissions were made by me proving how correct i am and how hasty you are to conclusions.

#1 I said this:
Someone wrongly pointed out that Frank Onyeka was the one doing all the mopping and dirty work.
That is a complete lie.
The proof:
Frank Onyeka made 4 interceptions against Ndidi's 2.
Frank Onyeka won 3 duels against Ndidi's 11
Frank Onyeka made and won 1 tackle, Ndidi made 7 tackles winning 6 of them
Frank Onyeka made 2 recoveries against Ndidi's 5
From the stats above who was doing more of the cleaning. Ndidi was far ahead of Onyeka.
I quoted myself verbatim.

#2 I said this:
Had it been that Alex lwobi and Frank Onyeka were involved defensively as Wilfred Ndidi, our fullbacks wouldn't have faced the magnitude of pressure they faced against Tunisia.
The proof:
From the stats indicated above, Alex lwobi and Frank Onyeka weren't as involved defensively as Wilfred Ndidi.
Ndidi operated from a central position, but had to move to the flanks to make his tackles
The image below reveals the various zones Ndidi had to ply to make his tackles.
The image proves that one man, just one man was covering both flanks.

#3 I did not say or try to paint:
That Onyeka was not involved defensively.
Please go through my post and see if you can find that phrasing or any nuances of it. I said and i repeat that "Alex lwobi and Frank Onyeka weren't as involved as Wilfred Ndidi in the teams defense".

I did not lie, you are the one allowing your blas to paint a narrative that has no grounding.

This will be my last take that will border on Eric Chelle's substitutions

Someone wrongly pointed out that Frank Onyeka was the one doing all the mopping and dirty work.
That is a complete lie.

Had it been that Alex lwobi and Frank Onyeka were involved defensively as Wilfred Ndidi, our fullbacks wouldn't have faced the magnitude of pressure they faced against Tunisia.

Eric Chelle's introduction of fast wingers was the best call.

I will no longer attend to this matter.

Moniter0:
the Tunisians were not posing any threat even when they got their first goal, which was only a result of a freekick that should have not been conceded in the first place. Things would have just returned to normal after that goal, but things changed with the substitution of Onyeka.

They weren't posing any threat yet the got their only legit goal then.
Ndidi left his central position to cut off their forays through the flanks, that's how the freekick was conceded.
Ndidi's numerous involvements got him battered, he was touching his eyes ( maybe they poked him ) and then he miskicked.

Bossoflife25:
So you put wingers and play a single DM in games you leading 3-1 with 10 minutes to go? Not even Pep with make such a school boy error!

You are the one making the error in your judgement.
In as much as you need to defend you also need to attack.
Wingers can do both.
You do not have to defend all through.

Eric Chelle also brought in a fifth defender in Chidozie Awaziem who can deliver long balls to forwards.
His game plan seem obvious.

MetalJigsaw:
He's an idiot for such statement. It was only luck that made us win that game... I wonder what he would be saying.

Don't let your emotions control you.
You can criticise his methods without calling him ugly names.

With all the work he did yesterday.
This is uncalled for.

Kog45:
Oga your boy nearly cost us,he won a duel but his overall performance was poor though better than Simon Moses,the duo don't deserve to come in,they did nothing,hope you saw where your boy was dispossess trying to do Okocha,that almost led to a goal....

Chidera Ejuke was not dispossessed.. He was fouled.

MetalJigsaw:
There is a saying: The ends justify the means. What was the result of removing your midfield workhorse for two wingers?? That's the issue.

Remember we almost ended up drawing 3-3!

Frank Onyeka was on the field of play when we conceded the first goal.
The barrage of attacks were through the wings.

I kept reviewing this case and I insist he made the right call.
Wingers and defenders are what you need for a quick bail out in this kind of situation.
Remember Awaziem's long ball in the match against Gabon.

Wingers will not only help you defend, they can also run with the ball towards goal. That is how dynamic their import can be.
In this kind of situation you need quick transition and recovery.

Amedino99:
needed cover? Osayi was left stranded for the most part when ejuke was there. At some point the attacks were facing osayi's side and he had no help.

Osayi was stranded for the most part?
Ejuke was not brought on to do Osayi's job, and never was Osayi stranded if you understand the basics of tactical defending.
Ejuke's first action was to close down and mark out a player right on Osayi's position, he covered for Osayi and he did that leaving his primary position vacant. What if the team recovered, and launched a counter, Ejuke will still get the whip for leaving his position.

I will be pleased if you cite the very instances where Osayi had no help.

In 2024/2025 season in La Liga, Chidera Ejuke was in the top 10, even ahead of Christantus Uche in possession won in the final third per 90. That is to tell you how immense he contributes to the team's defensive structure and behaviour.

chuks404:
you sabi, I also feel the substitution was not bad. The idea was good. Ideally bashiru instead of ejuke would have been better , but he did poorly in the last game. And no winger defends well than Simon in the team currently.(If you know you can suggest). Guys ERIC Chelle is good. But how do you even remedy the nonsense ejuke played. I am a big fan of his but he added nothing to his game today. Eric Chelle thinking was great but the personnel deployed failed. Ejuke should just kiss super eagles good bye because Eric chellle doesn't seem like who forgets easily. The reason dele didn't come in was because of his last performance . But you have to give it to osimhen. Very unselfish with the pass to lookman. Ejuke had the same chance he went for personal glory. It's clear why some players progress others don't.

He added nothing?
You allow your sentiments to form your words.

The current Moses Simon contributes the least defensively.
It is so glaring. Please cross check facts, make your observations over and over..

Kog45:
Oga your boy nearly cost us,he won a duel but his overall performance was poor though better than Simon Moses,the duo don't deserve to come in,they did nothing,hope you saw where your boy was dispossess trying to do Okocha,that almost led to a goal....

His overall performance was poor?
In just 11 minutes of play, he contributed to the team's defense much more than some players that lasted over 90 minutes.

Football is about risks. What if he succeeded. You are talking about one of the best dribblers in the world. Just before this tournament, he was leading in the number of dribbles completed per 90 in La Liga, ahead of Yamine Lamal.

TheSuperNerd:
@emboldened.... Ejuke was enough for this. Only him actually defended and still provided an outlet. Simon did nothing defensively. Infact, even Chukwueze would have been a better sub than Simon.

Onyeka needed to be replaced by a midfield profile who will also help out in those gaps. Not a simon.

Yes Chukwueze.
Even Alebiosu can ply the right midfield, and Ejuke can play on the LHS.

mrwilliams9:
Chelle needs to take time with his substitutions sha. There was no need to destabilize the team with those attacking subs.

Let’s see more of our midfield. This is a long tournament, need fresh legs

I have analysed this situation over and over.
A midfielder will not present as the effective weapon against the momentum of the Tunisians as well as plug the zones they were exploiting.

Wingers will not only plug the zones, but will provide more attacking threat that can push the Tunisians back.

What the Tunisians had wasn't game tactics, they have been beaten to it, what they had was just momentum. If we had managed to score just one, which we can, they will look for their sleeping mats.

The Super Eagles is not a team that can survive being on the back foot for long even with our midfielders.

lbrichman2:
Close to his full back
Simple

I don't know if you missed the point where Ejuke won a duel in the very zones Osayi was supposed to man primarily.
Ejuke provided the needed cover required of him.

TheSuperNerd:
Only Ejuke dropped 3 defensive contributions. Simon Moses surprisingly dropped Zero defensive contributions. Chelle should not have brought on 2 wingers at the same time. One was enough.

The other should have been a midfielder with emphasis on defense and ball holding/retention.

I wasn't even expecting Moses Simon.

Samuel Chukwueze provides the best defensive cover of all our wingers, and helps so much in midfield.
He is the most ideal for situations like this. He can turn events around.

[quote author=Goke7 post=137932318]For those defending Chelle, continue

Who shall deliver us from the hands of Eric Chelle? pic.twitter.com/8Vo4yFHJdY

— Fisayo Dairo (@FisayoDairo) December 27, 2025

people just want to be heard and out of their emotions they say rubbish.

The way we transited the ball from defence to the final third was a scene that was very rare in our football, but now we carry it out with ease.
This is the sweetest of football that i have seen of the Super Eagles in a very long while.

He did not see any positive to comment about, just the opening of his mouth to talk about a scenario that is beyond his understanding.
The wingers did their job.

To kill the momentum of the Tunisians we needed wingers with the energy to run into space, to run with the ball and make something happen and we almost succeeded.

lbrichman2:
Watch the build up to our third goal
It started with Onyeka who intercepted a pass and then Osimhen laid it off for Iwobi and ran into space..

Onyeka was cutting out passing lanes, marking and doing the dirty job
Had no business subbing him..
See here..

🚨🇳🇬 GOAL! Ademola Lookman scores for Nigeria to make it 3-0 against Tunisia. He’s now been involved in four goals in two games at the AFCON. pic.twitter.com/xxNwH0kIff

— GNB OFFICIAL (@GHNaijaBallers) December 27, 2025

Onyeka is a fine player.
But to burst your bubble, it was Ndidi that handled the bulk of the dirty job in the middle.
Frank Onyeka wasn't anywhere near Ndidi's intensity.

Please, calm down.

lbrichman2:
Watch that penalty osayi conceded
Then tell me whether Ejuke was anywhere close to him
I await your answer

Regarding the part of the pitch where the duel took place, where exactly do you want Ejuke to be?

daveP:
Pls finish this analysis. You haven't added what happened next pls and how it ended. Lol.

No stop here o. Chelle carry that blame abeg.

Give me a hint of what you want me to say next.

CornOak:
Meli, are you trying to justify why he brought on EJUKE and Simon? 🤔🤔

I am pointing out the reason for his introduction of wingers..

lbrichman2:
Simon even offers some periodic shine
But you see that Ejuke?
He should be booted out after this AFCON

This is how you congratulate the man who scored the winning goal against Gabon.
Do you know how much Ejuke contributed to the team's defense in the minutes he played against Tunisia.
He did what he was asked. He is not that easily dribbled.
He played according to the instructions he was given and could have gotten a goal.

I have read a lot of criticisms on Chelle regarding his game management and this is my perspective.

The Tunisians were mounting a lot of pressure on the flanks, and Chelle needed to foil the pressure.
Ndidi was even out of his position to defend the flanks.
That was the motive behind the substitutions Chelle made.

Again, in competitions there is what we call the game momentum. The momentum of the game shifted for obvious reasons and the Tunians siezed it to see what they can grab.

TheGoodJoe:
A big shout out to Eric Chelle. Our possession play by the defence is top notch. They really disorganize the shape of the attack and midfield of the Tunisians and trade break the line passes.

Good coaching there.

Honestly, i am impressed.

Taking mental notes.

TheSuperNerd:
Starting XI: Nwabali - Bruno, Bassey, Ajayi, Osayi - Ndidi, Onyeka, Iwobi - Lookman - Akor, Osimhen.

A double pivot is in place and a 3man midfield but not a 3 man central backline which is what I would have preferred.

Frank Onyeka in a double pivot with Wilfred Ndidi and probably with licence to also bomb forward.

2 man attack of Akor and Osimhen. Lookman playing close to them and Iwobi to act as the linkman between midfield and attack.

Hmmm... on paper seems to me like a 4-3-1-2 but it could vary in interpretation when executed.

Looking more like a 4-2-2-2

Kilishihunter:
Both young and explosive. We need to either work on our defence or go outright defensive like last afcon when we start to meet these kind of teams in the knockouts since injuries have disturbed the backline

Go outright defensive and get outplayed and beaten.
History has a way of repeating itself.

It is not just about the defeat, it is more about the hardship that you will encounter on the pitch.

TheSuperNerd:
Meliforme, I wanted to reply you earlier before the game began but network no gree me.

I hope you can see it was wise to keep Akinsanmiro out of the XI for now especially as he has only played 1 game in a midfield 3 and not midfield 2 and also, you cant just dump the Ndidi-Iwobi synergy built over time for a newbie no matter how talented. Chemistry should come first always before any other tactical shakeups.

Lastly, I dont see Akinsanmiro as an Iwobi Replacement. He can play alongside Iwobi but in a midfield 3. Not 2. I have said that much on X.

Alex Iwobi came to the party today. The movement of Lookman and Chukwueze across the final third gaps afforded Iwobi time to pick out his final passes and really spot the gaps to be exploited. Most chances created today. Iwobi is on a roll.

Na Ndidi we still dey wait for first SE Goal.

Synergy with Ndidi and then experience are the real reasons Iwobi can start ahead of Akin.

Yes, Akin can start alongside Iwobi in a midfield three.
Akin is not a direct replacement for Iwobi, but if we are to settle for the most ideal partner for Ndidi based on quality in a midfield two, Akin deserves the start. Iwobi can man the wings while Akin starts in the middle.

lbrichman2:
The other guy say na Akinsanmiro suppose start,not iwobi

The fact still remains Akinsanmiro does it better.
That is the fact.

The most distinguishing positive from Iwobi is his dropping deeper, opening himself up to receive passes from the defence and helping to move the ball from the defence into the more advanced areas of the midfield. The times he dropped deeper to receive passes from the defenders, the Tanzanian forwards retreated deeper into their own half.

Elock1:
Please house where to watch this game ..be like sporty no go show am?


elyte89, TheSuperNerd QueenJazz, BankyGee, forgiveness, solonnachi, Meliforme

Livesport088.com, Fawanews, Live Ten Sports (Android app).

typicalgamer:
Who is akansanmiro when compared to iwobi ??

You’re telling me that boy is physical stronger and faster than iwobi ?

And would be a definite upgrade than iwobi ?

Come on now

What a question.

I already listed the reasons why he should start ahead of Iwobi in midfield.