SUDAN HUMILIATE NIGERIA 4–0 TO REACH TOP OF GROUP D, SEND SUPER EAGLES CRASHING OUT OF CHAN
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By Aishat Momoh. O.
Sudan delivered a crushing 4–0 defeat to higher-ranked Nigeria on Tuesday night in Zanzibar, climbing to the top of Group D and eliminating the Super Eagles from the African Nations Championship (CHAN) with a game to spare.
The Falcons of Jediane struck first in the 25th minute when Abdel Raouf Yagoub’s shot rebounded off the post and ricocheted off Nigerian defender Leonard Ngenge into his own net. Minutes earlier, Nigeria had thought they had the lead through Anthony Ijoma, but VAR ruled his effort offside.
Things worsened for Nigeria just before halftime when Ngenge handled the ball inside the box. Walieldin Khdir stepped up to smash the resulting penalty into the top corner, doubling Sudan’s advantage.
Despite making three changes at the break, Nigeria’s fightback never materialised. Sudan maintained their high tempo, and in the 55th minute, Musa Hussien set up Yagoub for a calm finish into the bottom corner. The midfielder struck again just seven minutes later, curling a precise shot into the top-left corner after a Nigerian turnover.
Sudan’s coach, Kwesi Appiah, praised his players for their tactical discipline and clinical finishing.
“We were disciplined without the ball, fast in transition, and ruthless in the box. Against a team like Nigeria, you can’t afford to switch off and the boys executed perfectly,” he said.
Nigeria’s head coach, Eric Chelle, admitted his side failed to match Sudan’s intensity.
“We lost concentration at key moments. Once you’re chasing Sudan, they make the pitch feel very small,” Chelle said.
With two games played, Nigeria end their CHAN campaign with no goals scored and five conceded, finishing bottom of the group. Sudan, meanwhile, boast four points from two games, with five goals scored and just one conceded. They face Senegal next in a top-of-the-table clash, needing only a draw to progress but Appiah insists they will play to win.
The victory came on a night when defending champions Senegal were held by Congo, leaving Sudan’s travelling supporters celebrating loudly while Nigeria’s players departed with heads bowed.
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