THE home-based Super Eagles’ hopes of progressing at the ongoing African Nations Championship (CHAN) came to a crushing end on Tuesday night after a 4-0 thrashing by Sudan in Zanzibar.
The defeat, Nigeria’s second in the tournament after a 0-1 loss to Senegal last week means Eric Chelle’s men are mathematically out of contention for the title, a bitter blow in a competition designed exclusively for players plying their trade in domestic leagues.
Speaking after the match, an evidently dejected Chelle described the encounter as “the worst game” he had overseen from the dugout.
“We have lost all ambition. The CHAN is over for us. We have a third match to play for our honour and respect. But I am disappointed by this match. It is the worst game I’ve overseen as coach,” Chelle lamented.
The Nigerian coach revealed that the loss of nearly eight key home-based players — who moved abroad shortly before the tournament had significantly weakened the team’s competitive edge.
“These were the best players in our league. We can’t play a game like that and lose in the manner we did. We need to be more focused,” he stressed.
Chelle admitted that while the team had prepared well for Sudan and even had an early goal disallowed, a cascade of defensive blunders proved fatal.
“Our goal was ruled out, and afterwards, we made a lot of mistakes… four mistakes, four goals. Our training session before the game went well. We analysed Sudan’s team. We prepared well, but were not ready for as many mistakes,” he said.
Sudan’s coach, Kwesi Appiah, who has also been steering his side through the 2026 World Cup qualifiers expressed pleasant surprise at both the dominance of his side and the final scoreline.
“I wasn’t expecting the scoreline, but I knew if we played our best, we could defeat Nigeria,” Appiah remarked. “We knew it was going to be tough, especially in the first 20 minutes. Our tactic was to absorb pressure and hit them on the counter.”
Sudan’s disciplined approach paid off, with Appiah making his first substitution only in the 79th minute, a testament to his team’s control of the game.
While Nigeria now turn their attention to a final group match against Congo in a bid to salvage some pride, Sudan are eyeing a top-of-the-table showdown with Senegal — a clash that could decide the group’s dominant force.
For Chelle, the mission is now clear: avoid another humiliating defeat.
“If we play this way against Congo, it wouldn’t be just four. We have to clear our minds and mentally get ready for Congo,” he warned.