Nigeria Sets Unwanted Record After 4:0 Defeat to Sudan in CHAN, Crash Out in Shame
- Nigeria have been eliminated from the 2025 Africa Nations Championship (CHAN) after suffering a 4-0 defeat to Sudan
- The Super Eagles B team set an unwanted record after recording two defeats in their two games in the competition
- The Nigeria team, led by Eric Chelle, will face Congo in their final Group D game on August 19
Nigeria’s home-based Super Eagles have been sent packing from the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) after a humiliating 4-0 loss to Sudan.
The result not only confirmed their early elimination from the tournament but also etched their name in the record books for all the wrong reasons.
Source: Twitter
Nigeria, led by Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle, has equalled their heaviest-ever CHAN defeat, the 4-0 thrashing by Morocco in the 2018 final, All Nigeria Soccer reports.
How it unfolded for the Super Eagles
Coming into the match under pressure after a narrow 1-0 defeat to Senegal, Chelle’s team needed a win to keep Nigeria’s hopes alive.
For the opening 20 minutes, they looked up for the fight, enjoying more than 60% possession and even thinking they had taken the lead when Anthony Ijoma finished neatly in the 22nd minute.
However, VAR quickly crushed their joy, ruling the goal out for offside.
Nigeria suffer a devastating collapse
Just minutes after their disallowed goal, Nigeria’s night began to unravel.
Sudan’s Abdel Yagoub rattled the crossbar, and the rebound cruelly bounced in off defender Leonard Ngenge for an own goal.
Source: Twitter
As the team tried to recover, disaster struck again in first-half stoppage time, as Ngenge handled the ball inside the box, gifting Sudan a penalty which Walieldin Khidir calmly converted to make it 2-0.
Nigeria came out for the second half desperate to turn things around, but struggled to create chances.
After registering only one shot on target in the defeat to Senegal, they also failed to register a single shot on target in the entire match.
Sudan smelled blood and exploited defensive lapses, with Abdel Raouf scoring twice in quick succession, a close-range finish in the 55th minute and a brilliant volley off the crossbar six minutes later, sealing the 4-0 win.
An embarrassing exit for Nigeria
The loss means Nigeria have now conceded five goals and scored none in their first two group matches, ensuring they will not progress beyond the group stage, Complete Sports reports.
Their final Group D clash against the Republic of Congo has been reduced to a dead rubber, though it offers a small window to salvage some pride from what has been a tournament to forget.
For a team with Nigeria’s footballing pedigree, this CHAN campaign will go down as one of the most disappointing in history.
The unwanted record of their joint-heaviest defeat underlines the gap between expectation and reality.
Fans react after Sudan defeat Nigeria
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Super Eagles fans are currently unhappy with the performance of the team at the ongoing 2024 Africa Cup of Nations Championship.
A X user said Eric Chelle does not have the tactical knowledge to manage the home-based players and should be excused from the team, while another fan demanded the immediate resignation of the former Mali manager.
Source: Legit.ng
