Surprised Eagles Coach, Eric Chelle, has expressed his disappointment with the margin of his team’s defeat by Sudan at the ongoing African Nations Championship (CHAN) being co-sponsored by Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
Sudan defeated Nigeria 4-0 in Zanzibar on Tuesday to effectively end any chances of the Super Eagles B’s advancement in the championship. After last week’s 0-1 defeat by Senegal, the latest defeat came after many football followers had tipped the Super Eagles to bounce back to reckoning in the championship, which is meant for players plying their trade in their home leagues.
Chelle said that the game on Tuesday evening was a test of patience and pride, adding, sadly, that it turned out to be the worst game he had ever witnessed.
“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 from the dugout as a coach.”
Looking ahead to their final game against Congo, Chelle warned: “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.” The coach pointed to the loss of key domestic players, nearly eight who had moved abroad, as a turning point.
“Though some important players left our preparation camp, 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.”
The mistakes against Sudan were costly. “The players focused in the first 20 minutes. Our goal was ruled out, and afterwards, we made many mistakes… four mistakes, four goals. Our training session before the game went well. We analyzed Sudan’s team. We prepared well, but were not ready for as many mistakes.”
Sudan’s Coach, Kwesi Appiah, whose team is on a roll both in this competition and the ongoing 2026 World Cup qualifiers, was also surprised at the commanding way his wards demolished Nigeria.
The result not only sealed Sudan’s place as a serious contender but also brought an abrupt end to Nigeria’s dreams of lifting the trophy for the first time since the tournament’s inception in 2009. Appiah, the former Ghana national team coach, couldn’t hide his satisfaction at the final whistle.
“I was surprised by the performance of some of my players. If you noticed, my changes came deep into the second half because everyone was playing well.” Indeed, his first substitution came in the 79th minute, when Mubarak Abdallah replaced Salah Adel — a sign of how much control Sudan had on the game.
Appiah explained the game plan in simple terms: “We knew it was going to be tough, especially the first 20 minutes. Our tactical play was to absorb pressure and hit them on the counter.”
But then, the scoreline took him by surprise. “I wasn’t expecting the scoreline, but I knew if we played our best, we could defeat Nigeria.” Despite the emphatic scoreline, Appiah was gracious toward his opposite number, Eric Chelle: “I think the home-based Super Eagles aren’t that bad. On the whole, tactically, they played well.
“The coach only needs to do some polishing with the attack. The first game against Senegal wasn’t that bad; in the second game, they had stints of possession, but our approach helped us.” Sudan now eyes a top-of-the-table showdown with Senegal, while Nigeria seek redemption in their last match.
