Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) run ended in heartbreak on Wednesday night as the Super Eagles fell to hosts Morocco in a tense penalty shootout, sparking a firestorm of “good, bad, and ugly” reactions across social media.
After a goalless 120 minutes at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, the Atlas Lions triumphed 4-2 on penalties to secure their place in Sunday’s final against Senegal. For Nigeria, it was a familiar stumbling block; despite a campaign that promised much, they were unable to clear the final hurdle to reach the final.
“Chukwueze should retire”
The reaction in the social media space was instantaneous and passionate.
There was pride in the fight as many fans chose to focus on the team’s overall progress under Eric Chelle, praising the grit shown in a hostile environment.
@beedey4u: “What a journey it was, Super Eagles. Hold your heads high and be proud of the performance you gave out there. Truly proud.”
Questioning the leadership of the team, critics pointed fingers at the senior players for failing to step up during the shootout, with some questioning the absence of Victor Osimhen from the initial list of penalty takers.
@EmceeCeeKay: “Shame on Osimhen, Moses Simon, Lookman and Iwobi for shying away from penalties when it mattered most.”
However, the most vitriolic comments were reserved for Samuel Chukwueze. Following his lacklustre penalty, the phrase “Chukwueze should retire” began trending as fans vented their frustration at the Fulham winger’s perceived lack of consistency.
@harrysone9: “AFCON: ‘Chukwueze should retire’ – Nigerians react as Morocco beat Super Eagles. With all your experience, what kind of soft shot is that? Absolute nonsense!”
One of the hardest matches we have had – Coaches’ Corner
Morocco coach Walid Regragui was full of praise for the resilience shown by the Nigerian side after the final whistle.
“It was one of the hardest matches we have had against a very solid and talented team,” Regragui said. “I am very happy for the players and for the Moroccan people who really deserve this. It is a great gift for them to be in the final, but we will need to recover quickly because we put a lot of energy into this game.”
For Super Eagles’ Eric Chelle, the defeat was a bitter pill to swallow, especially given the atmosphere in Rabat, where the game was played.
“The players fought for every ball, and it is difficult to lose on penalties, but this is football, and we have to accept it,” Chelle said. “It is difficult to play here in Morocco because you have to play against the team and against the crowd.”
Morocco will return to the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on Sunday to face Senegal, who are looking to reclaim the title they last won in 2021.
Source: Channels TV
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