Nigeria boss Eric Chelle believes his team's third-place finish at the Africa Cup of Nations has provided a solid foundation to build on moving forward. 

Nigeria concluded their campaign in Morocco with a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over eight-time champions Egypt following a goalless draw in normal time on Saturday. 

The result saw the Super Eagles finish on the podium at AFCON for the 17th time in their history in 21 appearances (three titles, five times runner-up and nine times third). 

Indeed, their nine third-place finishes at the tournament are more than double that of any other team in that position, though they have failed to win the title since 2013. 

And Nigeria's displays at AFCON came after they failed to qualify for this summer's World Cup, after losing to DR Congo, who advanced to the inter-confederation play-offs. 

It is the first time they have failed to qualify for back-to-back World Cups since a run of six between 1970 and 1990, but Chelle believes his team are on the right track. 

"Being a coach is never easy. At one point I felt disappointed, not because the players fell short, but because they gave everything they had until exhaustion," Chelle said.

"Today, as I stand here, I feel great pride in them. I am very proud to be the coach of the Nigerian national team.

"This team gave everything — not only in this match, but over the past two months and throughout a full year of continuous work. What we achieved did not come by chance.

"There was a great deal of work done by the players. Building a strong group is not easy. Managing different personalities requires calm and patience.

"But the players responded in the best possible way. The players gave everything for me, for the coaching staff, and for the country.

"This match is not just a one-night story. It is part of a longer journey that concerns the future of this team.

"We will build on this experience, and it will be the foundation for the next phase of work. We tried different ideas, tested multiple approaches, and learned from every situation."

Egypt, meanwhile, have now lost their last three penalty shootouts at AFCON, after the Pharaohs had won each of their previous six at the tournament. 

Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush saw their spot-kicks saved by Stanley Nwabali, who helped Nigeria not concede a single goal in the knockout stages of the competition. 

And though falling short of a third-place finish, Egypt boss Hossam Hassan could not fault his players, particularly given the lottery of a penalty shootout. 

"It was a very evenly matched game against a strong Nigerian team. Both teams were organised and disciplined throughout the match," Hassan said.

"We managed to control several phases of the game, but in matches like these, things are decided by details. Today, the outcome was determined by penalty kicks.

"The players showed great character and strong discipline. I am very satisfied with my team's performance and proud of their commitment and the spirit they displayed till the end.

"Penalty shootouts are part of football. Sometimes they go in your favour, and sometimes they don't, and you have to accept that and keep working."