Nigeria’s hopes of progressing in the African Nations Championship came to a crashing halt as Sudan produced a ruthless display to win 4-0 in their second Group D match in Zanzibar on Tuesdaym
Eric Chelle’s men, already under pressure following a narrow 1-0 defeat to Senegal in their opening game, were dismantled by a Sudanese side that combined physical power with incisive attacking.
The result leaves Nigeria bottom of the group with no points and a goal difference of minus five, confirming their elimination from the tournament.
The tone of the match was set early when Sudan began pressing high and forcing mistakes in Nigeria’s defensive third. After 25 minutes, the breakthrough came in bizarre fashion as Leonard Ngenge put through his own net. Abdel Raouf Yagoub had struck the post from close range, but in his attempt to clear the rebound, Ngenge inadvertently diverted the ball past goalkeeper Mustapha Lawal.
If that was a setback, things quickly became worse. Just before the interval, Sudan doubled their lead from the penalty spot.
Walieldin Khdir converted emphatically into the top right corner after Ngenge was penalised for a handball inside the area. Nigeria’s attempts to hit back before the break faltered, with Sikiru Alimi heading wide from close range in stoppage time.
Any hopes of a second-half revival evaporated within 10 minutes of the restart. Abdel Raouf Yagoub, already a constant menace to the Nigerian backline, struck twice in quick succession. His first, in the 55th minute, came after Musa Hussien’s smart cutback found him in space, allowing him to finish with his left foot into the bottom corner. Seven minutes later, he completed his brace with a crisp right-footed strike high into the net after being left unmarked in the box.
From that point, Sudan controlled the match with composure. Nigeria pushed forward sporadically, with Raymond Tochukwu hitting the post late on, but Mohamed Abooja in the Sudanese goal dealt comfortably with anything that came his way. Chelle made a flurry of substitutions in a bid to change the tempo, but Sudan’s defensive organisation held firm.
Sudan’s victory, following their opening draw against Congo, moves them to four points from two matches and within touching distance of the knockout stages. For Nigeria, the defeat is a sobering blow to their CHAN ambitions. The 2018 finalists exit at the first hurdle, their campaign defined by a lack of cutting edge up front and defensive lapses that their opponents punished clinically.
For Chelle and his players, the post-mortem will begin immediately, but in Zanzibar the night belonged to Sudan, who celebrated a famous win that will be remembered by their supporters for years to come.
