The Super Eagles B are set to face the Zanzibar national team today (Thursday) in their second and final friendly ahead of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), which kicks off on Saturday. The tournament will take place across Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya.
The two teams met earlier on Monday at the Mao Zedong Stadium, where they played out a goalless draw.
Although Nigeria, under the guidance of head coach Eric Chelle, dominated that first leg, they failed to break down Zanzibar’s resilient defence.
Nigeria, runners-up in the 2018 edition, have been drawn in Group D of the 19-team tournament. They will face reigning champions Senegal, alongside Sudan and Congo.
Chelle reflected on the squad’s build-up upon arrival in East Africa, expressing satisfaction with the progress made so far.
“We began our preparations two weeks ago in Ikenne, where we worked extensively on physical fitness, tactics, and technique. Continuing our training in Zanzibar has been ideal. They are a solid side with quality players, so playing them offers us good preparation for CHAN,” Chelle said.
Despite never having lifted the CHAN trophy, Nigeria came close in 2014 when they finished third in South Africa, and again in 2018 when they lost in the final to hosts Morocco.
This time around, Chelle is cautious in his expectations.
“Our aim is to approach each game step by step, and we’ll assess what’s possible as the competition progresses,” he added.
Chelle, who missed the last edition, now leads Nigeria into the tournament after the team’s successful qualification campaign, where they beat long-time rivals Ghana 3–1 on aggregate.
The Super Eagles B will begin their CHAN campaign against Senegal and Sudan at the Amman Stadium on Zanzibar Island before facing Congo at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.