Nigeria must shut out all external distractions and remain fully focused on their Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign, head coach Eric Chelle said on Monday, following the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for next year’s FIFA World Cup.

The three-time African champions begin their Group C campaign against Tanzania on Tuesday, and Chelle has urged his players to put behind them the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup playoffs after a defeat to the Democratic Republic of Congo in November.

“We want to stay focused at all times,” Chelle told reporters at a pre-match press conference. “I have told the players to concentrate on themselves and on our development project. That is the most important thing for us.”

“We are our own first opponent. We need to focus on ourselves and block out the outside noise. Of course, missing the World Cup is painful, but we are here to win our first match. We have a tournament to play and we are here with ambition.”

The Malian tactician stressed that dwelling on past setbacks would serve no purpose as Nigeria look to make a strong start to the competition.

“I don’t have time to think about what happened before,” he added. “My focus is on what is happening right now.”

Nigeria head into the tournament with defensive concerns, having been hit by injuries and the retirement of veteran centre-back William Troost-Ekong ahead of the AFCON. However, the 48-year-old coach expressed full confidence in the players available to him.

The Super Eagles, runners-up at the 2023 AFCON, will also face Tunisia on December 27 before concluding their group-stage fixtures against Uganda three days later.