Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle has explained why he substituted Samuel Chukwueze during Nigeria’s 2-1 victory over Madagascar in their AFCON 2027 qualifier on Friday.

Chelle replaced the AC Milan winger with LASK forward Moses Usor during the game as Nigeria looked to strengthen their attack.

Usor went on to make a major impact, scoring the winning goal that gave Nigeria all three points against Madagascar.

Speaking after the match, Chelle said the decision to remove Chukwueze was purely tactical and not because of any serious injury.

“It was a tactical decision because, as you know, he finished the first half well,” Chelle said.

“So I felt he was a little bit tired, and I wanted to bring some energy into the team,” he added, explaining why he introduced Usor.

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Nigeria will now turn their attention to their next AFCON 2027 qualifier, with the Super Eagles scheduled to face Guinea-Bissau on Tuesday.