Nigeria lost a big football match in the worst way. They missed their penalties. Samuel Chukwueze had just come onto the field. His shot was saved, and Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations was over.
This loss felt familiar. It showed a simple problem. Being good at penalties in practice is not the same as taking them when it really matters.
The coach, Eric Chelle, picked his penalty takers from training data. He said Chukwueze and Bruno Onyemaechi were two of the best in practice.
But the game is different. Chukwueze was sent on very late. He had no time to feel the game. The quiet training ground does not feel like a packed stadium with so much on the line.
A story we have seen before
This exact situation happened to England almost five years ago. In the Euro 2020 final, manager Gareth Southgate sent on Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho in the final minute.
Their only job was to take a penalty. They missed. The coach made the same risky move. He asked players to be perfect without letting them play first.
What happened next was different. Southgate stood in front of the cameras. He said the blame was all his. He protected his players from angry fans.
For Nigeria, Coach Chelle has explained his reasons. He talked about training stats. He said the team looked tired. A strong show of public support for the players has been quite hard to find.
Another reference is in a Premier League clash in 2020, West Ham United was awarded a penalty deep into stoppage time against Manchester United.
With the score at 1-1, manager David Moyes made a decisive call. He substituted on his veteran captain, Mark Noble, for the sole purpose of taking the kick.
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Noble was no ordinary choice. He was a good penalty kicker, statistically one of the most reliable takers in world football for nearly two decades.
Yet, in that isolated, high-pressure moment, his shot was saved by goalkeeper David de Gea. The referee blew the final whistle immediately after the kick.
The human side of the game
The incident reminds us that football is played by people. Other experienced Nigerian players were not chosen.
Ademola Lookman has a known struggle with penalties. Alex Iwobi was playing deep in midfield. The plan from training took over.
Teams want a perfect system to win shootouts. But there is no perfect system. You cannot copy the pressure of that moment.
Nigeria has now lost two huge shootouts in a row. The numbers from practice can guide a choice. They cannot take the kick for a player.
Nigeria have learnt a lesson, and must prepare better for real pressure. More importantly, they must stand together when the plan fails. England learned this the hard way. The whole world watched. Now, Nigerian football faces its own test.
