AFCON 2025: Why the media was banned from Super Eagles training session
Head coach of the Super Eagles of Nigeria, Eric Chelle, has revealed why the media was banned from their training ahead of the AFCON 2025 round of 16 fixture.
Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has justified his decision to temporarily bar the media from team training sessions ahead of Nigeria’s decisive AFCON 2025 Round of 16 encounter with Mozambique.
The Nigerian camp had been closed to journalists for three consecutive days from Thursday, a move that sparked dissatisfaction within the media, with some reporters drawing comparisons to the more open training access granted by teams such as Morocco and Senegal.
Photojournalist Olawale Quadri voiced his displeasure on X on Saturday, questioning the restriction. However, addressing the issue during his pre-match press conference on Sunday, Chelle clarified that the decision was both within tournament regulations and aimed at keeping the squad fully focused.
According to Chelle, AFCON guidelines permit only one open training session for the media, but he had gone a step further out of respect for Nigerian journalists by allowing two media-access sessions weekly after discussions with his media team prior to the tournament.
He stressed that the media blackout was not a personal slight but a strategic choice to safeguard the players’ concentration as the competition intensifies.
“We are not on holiday here. I have a responsibility to prepare my players properly and ensure they remain focused,” Chelle explained. “If every training session is opened and results don’t go our way, people will still criticise the decision.”
Chelle urged for understanding, reiterating that the restriction was solely about protecting the team’s mindset and keeping attention firmly on their objectives.
The Super Eagles, regarded as one of the strong contenders for the AFCON 2025 title, take on Mozambique on Monday in a fixture that could prove pivotal to their tournament ambitions.
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