Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has explained the factors behind Nigeria’s exit from the Africa Cup of Nations following their semi-final loss to hosts Morocco on Wednesday night.

Nigeria were eliminated after a dramatic 4–2 penalty shootout defeat, with the encounter ending goalless after 120 minutes of action.

Speaking during his post-match press conference, Chelle admitted his side failed to reach the technical and physical standards they had shown earlier in the tournament, particularly against a disciplined Moroccan team.

“We played this match with high pressing, because if you don’t press, you leave spaces and the situation becomes very complicated,” Chelle said.

“From a technical point of view, the Super Eagles weren’t at the same level as we displayed in our other matches. I don’t want to say the reason was fatigue, but the truth is that we lacked movement and power.”

The Super Eagles struggled to impose themselves in attack despite entering the semi-final as one of the tournament’s most prolific sides, and ultimately paid the price in the penalty shootout.

Nigeria will now shift focus to the third-place playoff, while Morocco advance to the AFCON final where they will face defending champions Senegal.