Nigeria’s CHAN 2024 campaign ended in embarrassment as the home-based Super Eagles were thrashed 4-0 by Sudan at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar City, confirming their elimination with a game to spare, Footynaija.com reports.
Head coach Eric Chelle made two midfield changes from the side beaten 1-0 by Senegal, keeping faith with the same defence and attack. His team began brightly and thought they had taken the lead before the half-hour mark, but Anthony Ijoma’s neat finish was ruled out by VAR for offside.
Moments later, disaster struck. Leonard Ngenge, already under scrutiny for his error in the opener, headed a harmless rebound into his own net to hand Sudan the lead.
The Ikorodu City teenager compounded his nightmare just before half-time, misjudging a clearance and handling the ball in the area. Sudan doubled their advantage from the spot.
Nigeria’s faint hopes of a revival faded 10 minutes into the second half when Omer Yagoub found acres of space to slot past Mustapha Lawal.
Yagoub struck again in the 62nd minute, punishing yet more slack defending to seal a humiliation that equalled Nigeria’s heaviest CHAN defeat — the 4-0 loss to Morocco in the 2018 final.
With two defeats, zero goals scored, and four conceded, Nigeria remain bottom of Group D and cannot qualify, even with a win against Congo in their final match. This is the first time the home-based Eagles have lost their opening two CHAN fixtures.
It is a record Chelle will want to forget, but one Nigerian fans will remember for all the wrong reasons.