Nigeria coach Eric Chelle insists the Super Eagles will adopt a comprehensive approach to contain Morocco as they prepare for their 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) semifinal clash.
The two sides meet on Wednesday, January 14, at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Sports Complex.
Speaking ahead of the encounter, Chelle emphasized that his strategy will not focus solely on Morocco’s star, Real Madrid forward Ibrahim Diaz, but on neutralizing threats from the entire team.
“I’m not just going to stop Diaz, we’re going to put together a plan to stop the entire Moroccan team, that’s my main focus,” Chelle said.
“Diaz is a good player and Morocco is a team with strong players.
“What concerns me is my team, as we will see if we have recovered after the match against Algeria, and based on that I will work on developing a game plan for the next match.”
Chelle also highlighted the differences between Algeria and Morocco, despite some perceived similarities in playing style.
“Algeria is a great team with strengths and weaknesses, and the same applies to Morocco, which is a strong team.
“We need to find the weaknesses that we can exploit. Algeria and Morocco are not from the same school, and there is a difference between the coaches Regragui and Petrovic.”
The French coach added: “We have to work to win this match tomorrow against Morocco. If I find that we have to retreat to defense, then I will do that.
“The match against Algeria was the biggest test, and now against Morocco is the biggest test. For us, every match is the biggest test.
“We are ready for all matches, and we try to play each game as if it were our last and give everything in it. Now I will assess the physical condition of my team’s players, and then I will choose the best players and set the game plan,” he added.
Kickoff is set for 20:00 GMT.
