Nigeria's head coach Eric Chelle offered an insight into the pressures of the job, as he pored over his choices for the starting line-up for the final game in Group C on Tuesday night at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Chelle's charges enter the tie against Uganda at the Stade de Fes as pool winners, following victories over Tanzania and Tunisia.
Nigeria laboured to the 2-1 win over Tanzania – a side 74 places below them in the Fifa world rankings – and they clung on to beat Tunisia 3-2 after leading 3-0 going into the final 15 minutes.
"When I was the coach of Mali, it was very difficult because it was my country and I had a lot of pressure," Chelle said on the eve of the fixture at the Stade de Fes. "But when I took this job for Nigeria, the pressure went up another level. At every moment in the day, I feel the pressure. I feel the expectation of this country."
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He added: "And whenever this is over, I don't know if I will ever feel something like that again. It's like you are on a mountain and at every moment you can fall down."
Chelle, after two years with Mali, had been three months in the job at MC Oran in the Algerian top flight when he was drafted in to lead Nigeria in January.
"I feel good. I do what I want. I do what I feel," Chelle added. "Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's not good. But this is, for sure, 100 percent, the best job for me. I'm very happy with that."
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Second-placed Tunisia, Tanzania, who lie third, and Uganda are vying for the runners-up spot behind Nigeria and an automatic place in the last 16 at the 24-team tournament. Failing that, the trio can also put themselves in the running to advance as one of the four best third-placed teams.
Chelle said he might deploy players who had not featured in the first two games.
"I try every time to do my best, like the players on the pitch," he added. "I'm very proud of them. I'm very proud to work for Nigeria and to work to bring some prizes."
Since arriving in Morocco, the Nigerian coach has brushed off suggestions that the team needs to lift the Cup of Nations trophy to redeem themselves after botching a 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, in which they finished second behind South Africa, and then fluffed their reprieve at an African play-off for a place at an intercontinental tournament leading to two spots at next year's competition.
Chelle merely urged his squad to surpass the feats of the 2023 vintage, who reached the final in Cote d'Ivoire before going down to the hosts who had eliminated his Mali side in the quarter-finals.
"A lot of the players are with me," said Chelle. "They feel the same. They want to die for Nigeria. They want to die. And we are ready for that. So at every training session, everything I say to them I give with my heart. I'm just very happy and I'm trying to live this period like it's the best of my life."
In Group D on Tuesday night, Benin, fresh from their first victory at a Cup of Nations tournament, take on Senegal in Tangier and Democratic Republic of Congo face Botswana in Rabat.
On Monday evening, Morocco skipper Achraf Hakimi returned from a seven-week injury lay-off during his team's 3-0 stroll past Zambia to claim top spot in Group A.
Mali joined them in the last 16 as runners-up, following a 0-0 draw with Comoros.
In Group B, Egypt and South Africa advanced. Egypt drew 0-0 with Angola in Agadir, while South Africa twice squandered the lead in Marrakesh before Oswin Appollis converted an 82nd-minute penalty to give them a a 3-2 victory over Zimbabwe.
"Once again we fell asleep after a good start," said South Africa boss Hugo Broos.
"Our passing was bad at times and we should have concentrated on retaining possession in the closing minutes instead of seeking a fourth goal. We have to work on controlling games."
