CHAN
Pride and survival on the line as Sudan and Nigeria collide in CHAN Group D
By KUNLE SOLAJA.
After a week in the doldrums, both Nigeria and Sudan will again roar into action in the ‘sleepy’ Group D of the Africa Nations Championship at Zanzibar’s Amaan Stadium this Tuesday night.
It will not just be an ordinary clash for three points; it will be about survival. A loss by the Super Eagles B will see the boys moving closer to the airport for an early return home.
They will be missing out on a potential “dollar rain”.
For Sudan, it’s a chance to build momentum in a campaign fuelled by belief and resilience.
For Nigeria, it’s pure survival — a “do-or-die” scrap to keep their African Nations Championship hopes alive.
Two different journeys now converge under the same pressure: win or risk the door to the quarterfinals slamming shut.
For Sudan, under the Ghanaian coach, Kwesi Appiah, it is a continuation of a redemption mission.
Appiah, Sudan’s experienced Ghanaian coach, carries the quiet determination of a man who knows second chances don’t come often.
His side’s 1-1 draw with Congo in their opener was a game they could have won, but defensive lapses proved costly.
“So far, preparation has gone well,” Appiah is quoted by CAFonline as saying. “Our last game against Congo didn’t go entirely our way, but now we have the opportunity to turn the tables.”
Since then, his players have been pushed through tactical drills designed to sharpen defensive discipline and make their counter-attacks more lethal.
“Training has been solid, and fortunately, we have no injury concerns. The boys are locked in — we’re focused on playing to our strengths.”
Appiah’s role in Sudan goes beyond formations and match plans. He has been outspoken on the need for African coaches to back themselves.
“Africans must first believe in ourselves before others can take us seriously,” he said. “It’s not about where someone is from. It’s about standing together as Africans.”
It’s a message that has resonated not just with his squad but with a growing number of supporters who see him as a figure pushing for unity in the African game.
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A clash of epic proportions is expected this evening when Nigeria take on Sudan in what is easily a destiny-shaping duel for both teams in the African Nations Championship.
While Nigeria lost their opening match 1-0 to defending champions Senegal, Sudan’s Ghanaian coach, Kwesi Appiah, isn’t fooled into thinking that result tells the whole story.
“One game doesn’t define a team,” he warned.
“Every Nigerian player is dangerous. We must be ready for a physically strong side with serious attacking intent.”
Sudan currently sits third in Group D with one point; Nigeria, bottom with none, knows a loss would almost certainly send them packing. For the Super Eagle B, the encounter is a ‘Do-or-Die’.
This is even underlined by the team’s handler, Eric Chelle, who was blunt about the stakes.
“I just want to win the game,” he said in a pre-match conference. “It’s my game project. I know that it’s a game project that rewards a lot of intensity and aggression. To stay ambitious, we need to win this game against Sudan.”
Chelle admitted that the pressure is immense following the defeat to Senegal: “I know there is pressure on us, and it’s normal.
“We are a big country, a great football nation, and we need to do better in the next game. The reality now is that we are low, but we are together as a unit. If we get the three points after the game, it will breathe more life into the group.”
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Nigeria’s bounce-back-ability credentials on the football field will again be subjected to a stern test when the home-based senior men’s national team take on Sudan’s Falcons of Jediane in a must-win 8th Africa Nations Championship group D encounter in Zanzibar on Tuesday.
Title-holders Senegal scored with their only shot on goal with only a quarter-hour left in the two teams’ clash on Tuesday last week, rendering this Tuesday’s clash with the Sudanese a win-or-wind-up for the Super Eagles B. Venue is the same 15,000 -capacity Amaan Stadium on the island of Zanzibar where the 2018 runners-up fell to their West African rivals.
Head Coach Eric Chelle admitted after Tuesday’s setback that his charges must go into clear-eyed overdrive to cut the feathers of the Falcons and go ahead to drive Congo’s Devils into the ditch a week later, to stand any realistic chance of making it to the knockout rounds in the rather irregular 19-nation finals.
“I just want to win this game against Sudan; this is my game project. We are under pressure but we are ambitious and must win tomorrow. This game is the most important for us because a win can bring something good for the team,” Chelle said at Monday’s pre-match press conference.
Team captain Nduka Harrison Junior said: “We want to take each game as it comes, and next for us is Sudan. The previous game was a setback and not a disaster. We have a point to prove, and we are ready to correct our mistakes.”
The Falcons, who also had their spirit dampened by a late equaliser that ensured they took home only one point instead of three in their clash with Congo just before the Nigeria and Senegal tango, are, however, poised for a fight on the Indian Ocean Island.
“Nigeria is one of the biggest nations in African football, and we respect them, but we won’t fear them. I don’t believe in any rivalry; this is a game and the best team will win. I have watched only one game of the Nigerian team and can’t assess them based on one game. I don’t see any player as a threat, but the entire team,” said Kwesi Appiah, head coach of Sudan.
The stage is set for a blockbuster showdown at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar on Tuesday evening, starting from 6 pm.
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Nigeria’s CHAN head coach, Eric Chelle, has praised the high intensity and technical quality of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) despite watching his side suffer a narrow 1-0 defeat to defending champions Senegal in their Group C opener on Tuesday.
Returning to the continental tournament after missing the last two editions, Nigeria fell behind in the 75th minute to a well-organised Senegalese side. But while disappointed with the result, Chelle was quick to commend the standard of play on display.
“I am surprised about the intensity,” Chelle admitted post-match. “There are a lot of good teams and a lot of quality. I think the pitches are very good, allowing for fast-paced and technical football. This would be a great CHAN competition.”
Nigeria had previously made strong appearances in 2014, 2016, and 2018, but missed out on qualification in 2020 and 2022. Expectations were high for the home-based Eagles, yet they were second-best for much of the opening half.
Chelle was candid in his assessment of the match, conceding that his team failed to match Senegal’s intensity early on and paid the price for a defensive lapse.
“Senegal deserved their victory because we just played 20 minutes in the second half,” he said. “During the first half, I didn’t recognize my team. Senegal was more aggressive than us, they put more intensity, and it’s very normal for them to go ahead and win.”
Despite a better showing in the second period—with Nigeria creating some chances and playing more confidently—Chelle acknowledged it was too little, too late.
“When we started playing, we created chances, kept the ball well, and showed glimpses of our attacking flair,” he noted. “But we need to be more ambitious and aggressive—to press higher up the pitch and win the ball back quickly.”
Now facing a must-win second group match against Sudan, Chelle emphasized the need for a change in mentality, calling on his players to step up and fight harder.
“We need to change our state of mind,” he said. “We need to be more aggressive, to dominate possession and create scoring opportunities. You simply can’t win matches if you lose all duels, especially in the midfield. We created no chances in the first half. We cannot let that happen.”
The former Mali international also shouldered the blame for the loss, taking responsibility while urging his team to bounce back.
“I don’t want to fault my players. I take responsibility,” he said. “I must remind my players that this is football. We should have a warrior’s mentality—to fight for every ball and never give up. I hope we win the second game.”
Looking ahead, Chelle remains optimistic that Nigeria can turn things around, drawing strength from the lessons learned against one of the competition’s top contenders.
“In the first presser, I said Senegal was the big team, and equally said we’ll like to take it game after game,” he concluded. “In a week’s time, we need to win the second game if we want to give ourselves hope.”
Nigeria will now aim to revive their CHAN campaign when they take on Sudan in a decisive encounter that could determine their fate in the competition.
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