In a major setback for Nigerian football, the Super Eagles B were knocked out of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) after a crushing 4-0 loss to Sudan in their second Group D encounter on Tuesday.
This defeat marks the joint-worst result for Nigeria in the tournament’s history, matching their 4-0 thrashing by Morocco in the 2018 edition.
Under coach Eric Chelle, the team entered the match aiming to recover from a narrow 1-0 loss to defending champions Senegal in their opening game. Sudan, meanwhile, had started with a 1-1 draw against Congo.
In the group’s other fixture on Tuesday, Senegal held Congo to a 1-1 stalemate.
With matchday 2 wrapped up, Sudan leads Group D with four points, followed by Senegal also on four. Congo sits third with two points, while Nigeria languishes at the bottom with zero.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles B will play their final group match against Congo on August 19, as Senegal takes on Sudan the same day. For Congo to have any hope of advancing to the knockout stages, they must secure a victory over Nigeria.
The Super Eagles B dominated the early proceedings and believed they had broken the deadlock in the 22nd minute via Anthony Ijoma, but the goal was disallowed for offside following a VAR review.
Sudan seized the initiative in the 25th minute when Abdel Yagoub’s shot struck the crossbar and deflected off defender Leonard Ngenge for an own goal.
Ngenge’s woes deepened soon after, as he conceded a penalty for handball, which Walieldin Khidir calmly converted to make it 2-0.
The Sudanese extended their lead in the 56th minute through Omer Yagoub, who unleashed a powerful low volley after Nigeria failed to clear a cross.
Yagoub struck again in the 62nd minute, volleying a stunning effort that clipped the bar before nestling in the net, sealing the 4-0 rout.
