The starting lineup for the senior national team of Nigeria in today’s semi final game against the host Morocco in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations didn’t spring up any surprises, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

With captain Wilfred Ndidi suspended head coach Eric Chelle was left with what many see as a difficult task in picking his replacement from the trio of Raphael Onyedika, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru and Tochukwu Nnadi.

Chelle according to what we exclusively gathered has settled for Onyedika as the man to fill in the void created by the absence of the captain. Other than that he kept faith with the same team that prosecuted the last two games.

” No surprises from what I am hearing. Onyedika will replace Ndidi. Chelle is not taking risk with many changes so you will likely see the same starting lineup. Any tweak or adjustment will likely be in the second half”, a source revealed.

The game will begin by 9pm Nigerian time, shortly after the first semi final game between Egypt and Senegal.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle has left the door open over a potential move to take over as the coach of Tunisia after the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Nigeria will be up against the host for a spot in the final later today, and Chelle who has so far surpassed expectations with the brand of football that Nigeria is playing at the tournament has become a target for many African countries.

Top among them is Tunisia, and like we exclusively reported they are willing to double his current wage of $50,000 a month with Nigeria, and also hand him the reign to lead their team to the 2026 World Cup.

Chelle was put on the spot by Tunisian journalist Nazih Kerchaoui, after the pre match conference ahead of today’s game with a very direct statement. ” Coach welcome to Tunisia”, he said in a viral video.

Responding Chelle said ” Insha Allah”, which in Arabic translates to ” God willing”. A reply which has now put his immediate future with the Nigerian team uncertain despite having a contract that runs to 2027.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Head coach the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle has picked Victor Osimhen as the captain for today’s Africa Cup of Nations semi final game against Morocco, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

The team will be without captain Wilfred Ndidi who is suspended for the game after picking up two yellow cards in the knock out round against Mozambique and Algeria respectively.

In his absence Chelle announced to the team after yesterday’s training that Osimhen will wear the captain’s armband later today, further confirming his retention as deputy captain despite the disagreement he had with Ademola Lookman in the game against Mozambique, which many feared will cost him his leadership role.

It will not be the first time that he will be wearing the captain’s armband in the tournament. He was the one with the band when Ndidi was rested for the last group game against Uganda.

The senior national team of Nigeria had their final training session ahead of their semi final game against Morocco at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations ( AFCON), OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Led by head coach Eric Chelle and his technical assistants, the team had a session that lasted for over an hour with emphasis on how to pick up a win in tomorrow’s final against the host.

Chelle who is facing a huge decision on who will replaced suspended captain Wilfred Ndidi in the starting lineup gave a hint on the likely replacement, after trying a host of players in the position.

During the session the coach started by playing Ademola Lookman alongside Alex Iwobi and Frank Onyeka as his midfield three, but he was quick to jettison the idea with Tochukwu Nnadi coming in alongside Iwobi and Onyeka.

That move lasted for a while before he reverted to Raphael Onyedika to be a part of the three in the middle, but it was Fisayo Dele-Bashiru that lasted the longest in the role for the majority of the session.

Barring a late minute change of mind, it appears the coach has settled for Dele-Bashiru as the man to be a part of his midfield diamond.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Respected Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho says Morocco will beat Nigeria in tomorrow’s AFCON semi final and go on to win the tournament as host, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Both teams will go head to head for a spot in the final with Nigeria coming into the game with the best attack in the tournament after scoring a total of 14 goals.

Morocco on their part come into the game with the best defence of the tournament with just one goal conceded, and also have the backing of their fans behind them for the crunch tie.

Speaking to BeinSports USA, the former Chelsea, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Tottenham, Roma and presently Benfica coach ranked Morocco as the best on the African continent, and tipped them to go all the way and win the tournament.

” Morocco is number 1 in Africa and the favorite to win the AFCON. An organised, disciplined team that believes in itself. When a team believes in its abilities, It can be dangerous. In Qatar ( World Cup 2022) they proved that they weren’t tourists, but as true competitors”, he stated.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Eric Chelle says his team will approach the game against Morocco in the semi final of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in a different way than thy have in previous games, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Nigeria have been the most dominant team at the tournament with their high press and transition using a three man attack of Jerome Akor, Ademola Lookman and Victor Osimhen.

Their style have won them admirers with praises going to Chelle for the style that has seen them emerged as a feared team in the tournament, but Chelle said they will play a different way from the start against the host.

He explained the switch in style, saying it’s largely due to fatigue, but he hope they will revert back to how they have played in previous games in the second half.

“I find that my group is tired; it might be time for me to change my approach. We might perhaps leave the ball to Morocco and wait for them. We saw that they have difficulties when they play under pressure”, he explained at the pre match presser.

We’ll start that way, I think. We’ll hold on in the first half and try to play our game in the second half.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

Former captain and coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Sunday Oliseh says the present Super Eagles team is playing the best brand of football they have ever played since 2006, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Oliseh who works as a commentator at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations, where Nigeria have progressed to the semi final where they will be taking on the host Morocco was full of praises for the Eric Chelle led team.

So far they have won all of their games at the ongoing tournament with two or more goals Including a 3-1 win over Uganda, a 4-0 win over Mozambique and a very comprehensive 2-0 win over Algeria in their last three games.

Speaking on the team’s performance so far, Oliseh didn’t mince words when he termed them having the best style of play for the last 20 years.

” Look I don’t know what’s going to happen in the next games, Look I don’t care because people were shouting about the Tunisian game, to me the Tunisian game was not really exceptional, the Tanzania game for me was not the best and I made my opinions clear. It’s no secret”, he said in a broadcast on his YouTube channel.

” But the way this Super Eagles have played the last three games is the best I have seen Super Eagles play in 20 years since 2006. You can say Sunday said this. Ask anybody who is worth his salt as a football analyst to watch our team and they will tell you.

” Nigeria now forces the opposition to play defensive non stop. Nigeria now put pressure on you from the defence, from the midfield. Onyeka (Frank) and Ndidi ( Wilfred) are eating every thing up and then you have Iwobi (Alex). Iwobi is just running the show like an orchestra, and he is just making me laugh when I watch this.

” You know commentating Nigeria is the most difficult thing to do because you want to give all the compliments but at the same time, you say oh no no I have to be neutral”, he said.

French man Julien Mette has warned Morocco to be wary of the strength and threat of the Super Eagles of Nigeria ahead of tomorrow’s Africa Cup of Nations semi final game, OwnGoalNigeria.com.

The well travelled former coach of Djibouti says the Nigerian team is by far the best in the tournament judging by how they have progressed to the semi final, with a swashbuckling style of play.

Speaking ahead of the game after Nigeria’s comprehensive 2-0 win over Tunisia in the quarter final, he said Morocco need to find another area to beat Super Eagles who are superior in almost all departments.

“There is no team equivalent to Nigeria in terms of athletic data, strength, combativeness in duels… We’re going to have to beat them in the other areas”, he warned.

“Offensively, Nigeria is superior to Morocco. On the Moroccan side, there’s Brahim Diaz emerging, but if he goes out… Nigeria is capable of doing everything, killing you on the break, in structured attack, on set pieces”.

Mohammed Mowiz Suleiman

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has officially communicated to the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) the list of players who are not eligible to play for the team in tomorrow’s semi final game against Morocco at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations, OwnGoalNigeria.com reports.

Yesterday CAF officially sent the list of suspended players to the NFF, and contrary to reports Stanley Nwabali isn’t suspended despite picking up two bookings in the tournament.

He was cautioned in the 2-0 win over Algeria in the quarter final in addition to the booking he picked up against Tunisia in the group stage, but all cautions are not carried into the knock round. So he is currently on one yellow card.

Meanwhile the letter confirmed the suspension of captain of the Nigerian team Wilfred Ndidi, who was booked against Mozambique in the round of 16 and against Tunisia in the quarter final.

Ndidi is the only Nigerian player who will miss the game against Morocco due to suspension.