By Kunle Solaja, Casablanca, enroute Tangiers

The Super Eagles have drawn a line under their flawless group-stage campaign and shifted full attention to the demands of knockout football as they prepare for Monday’s Round of 16 encounter against the Mambas of Mozambique at the 35th Africa Cup of Nations finals.

Head coach Eric Sékou Chelle, recently named Coach of the Group Phase, led an intensive Friday evening training session at the Sardienne Complex in Fès, with 25 players put through their paces. Also present was two-goal, two-assist forward Ademola Lookman, whose form has been central to Nigeria’s perfect nine-point haul from the group phase.

England-based defender Ryan Alebiosu was absent from the session as he continues recovery from a leg injury sustained during Tuesday’s 3–1 victory over Uganda, a result that sealed Nigeria’s maximum points return.

Greece-based forward Cyriel Dessers has returned to his club due to a thigh injury, while midfielder Tochukwu Nnadi missed training after coming down with a cold, having featured as a second-half substitute in the win over the Cranes of Uganda.

Chelle has emphasised to his players that the tournament now demands a different mentality, urging them to embrace the discipline and pragmatism required in knockout football rather than chasing spectacle.

Nigeria’s group-stage exploits also pushed their Africa Cup of Nations scoring tally to 152 goals in 107 matches since their debut at the finals in Ghana in 1963, underlining the Super Eagles’ enduring presence at the continental showpiece.

The French-born tactician remains unbeaten in regulation time in 13 competitive matches since his first outing with Nigeria in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Rwanda in Kigali last March.

His side have only tasted defeat on two occasions during his tenure — the penalty shootout heartbreak against DR Congo in a World Cup playoff in Rabat and a 2–1 friendly loss to Egypt in Cairo last month.

Reacting to his Group Phase coaching honour, Chelle was quick to deflect personal praise.

“I am happy about this recognition,” he said. “But I want to give the credit to my backroom staff who work tirelessly to make the team function. This is good motivation for me, the players and the entire squad.

“However, this is not why we are here. We are here for something bigger and better. We will not get ahead of ourselves. We will continue to work hard and stay focused for every match as it comes.”

Nigeria face Mozambique national football team on Monday, with a place in the quarter-finals at stake as the Super Eagles look to translate group-stage excellence into knockout success.

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By Kunle Solaja, Casablanca, enroute Tangiers

Seven-time champions Senegal national football team will put their pedigree and title ambitions on the line when they clash with the Sudan national football team in the Round of 16 of the Africa Cup of Nations at the imposing Grande Stade de Tanger.

On paper, it is a classic mismatch. Senegal, champions of the 2021 edition and among the continent’s elite, arrive as overwhelming favourites. Sudan, ranked 117th in the world and contesting their first knockout match at the Africa Cup of Nations in 14 years, carries the underdog tag — but also the freedom that comes with having little to lose.

The encounter pits pedigree against perseverance. Senegal have been one of the most complete teams at the tournament, blending physical authority with tactical discipline.

Their group-stage run was emphatic, capped by a commanding 3–0 victory over Benin, and they remain unbeaten as they enter the knockout phase.

With a squad shaped by repeated deep runs at major tournaments, the Teranga Lions are expected to control proceedings through midfield dominance, purposeful wing play and a defence that has rarely looked vulnerable.

Sudan’s journey has been markedly different but no less compelling. Qualifying as one of the best third-placed teams was itself a triumph, achieved against the backdrop of political turmoil and conflict at home.

Their campaign has been built on organisation, collective belief and sheer resilience. Compact in shape and tireless in effort, the Falcons have shown a willingness to suffer without the ball, frustrate opponents and strike through set-pieces or swift transitions.

For Senegal, patience will be crucial. Sudan are likely to sit deep and defend in numbers, forcing the favourites to probe carefully rather than chase early breakthroughs.

Precision in the final third and composure under pressure will be essential, particularly if the game stretches into its later stages, where Senegal’s experience in managing knockout football could prove decisive.

Sudan’s hopes rest on maintaining defensive concentration and seizing rare opportunities. An early goal or a sustained spell of pressure could ignite belief and turn the contest into a test of Senegal’s nerve. Any lapse, however, risks swift punishment from a side brimming with quality and confidence.

Tangier’s cool evening conditions and the fast surface at the Ibn Batouta Stadium are expected to favour Senegal’s tempo-based approach, but Sudan will draw strength from their underdog status and the absence of expectation. For them, this match represents more than football — it is a statement of resilience and national pride.

With a quarter-final place at stake, the clash promises a familiar Africa Cup of Nations narrative: a continental heavyweight seeking authority against a disciplined outsider daring to extend a memorable run.

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Sudan hopes an upset win over Senegal in the Africa Cup of Nations on Saturday could prove a catalyst for a cessation of hostilities in their country, or even a longer peace, coach Kwesi Appiah said on Friday.

Sudan’s team has reached the knockout stage of the competition for only the second time since they won the tournament in 1970, overcoming the immense difficulties of being exiled from their country because of the war.

The paramilitary group – which grew from the “Janjaweed” militia mobilised two decades ago by Sudan’s government to subdue its western Darfur province – has been fighting the Sudanese army since April 2023, when the two fell out over how to integrate their forces.

The conflict has since killed tens of thousands of people, displaced millions and spread famine across the vast country.

Despite the conflict, Sudan’s football team have continued to play in exile and against the odds qualified for the Cup of Nations in Morocco, where they will meet the heavily fancied Senegal in the first of the last-16 matches at the weekend.

“Most of the time I try to run away from these questions because the emotions are terrible,” said a visibly upset Appiah at a press conference when asked about the impact of the war on his team.

“It is not something that we want to talk about, but we are hoping that if we win it will let the war calm down or even cease.

RIVAL ARMIES STOPPED SHOOTING TO CELEBRATE

“There was a game we won (in recent World Cup qualifying) when the armies put their guns down, and everyone was celebrating. Football can change things in this world,” added the Ghanaian-born coach.

Sudan has not played a home match over the last three years, with its footballing infrastructure damaged. The country’s top two clubs have moved to Rwanda, where they are competing as guests in the local league, and Khartoum’s Al Hilal have also made it to the group phase of this season’s Champions League.

 Sudan’s Bakhit Khamis and coach James Kwesi Appiah during the press conference REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh

“Playing away from home and under these circumstances that you are all aware of, is very difficult,” added Captain Bakhit Khamis.

“It’s very hard on us to live away from our families, from our homes. We are trying to cope with these circumstances, trying to please our fans, and hopefully things will get better. Everything we are doing on the pitch is an attempt to make things better for our people,” he said.

-Reuters

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