‘They need better coaching’ – Sudan’s Ghanaian coach Appiah declares after beating Eric Chelle's Super Eagles

Sudan's Ghanaian coach Kwesi Appiah expressed strong opinions following their stunning 4-0 victory over Nigeria at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024. 

The match took place on Tuesday, where the Nigerian Super Eagles B team, made up predominantly of NPFL players and led by coach Eric Chelle, suffered a heavy defeat that has left them eliminated from the tournament.

Nigeria started the match with promise, even thinking they had scored an early goal through Anthony Ijoma, only for it to be disallowed by VAR. 

That moment marked a turning point as Sudan took control. Sudan’s opening goal came in the 25th minute, an own goal by Nigeria’s Leonard Ngenge. They extended their lead just before halftime when Walieldin Khidir scored from a penalty at the 44th minute, putting Sudan 2-0 ahead at the break.

In the second half, Sudan dominated further with Ahmed Tabanja scoring twice in quick succession, to make it 3-0 at the 55th minute and then seal the emphatic 4-0 victory at the 62nd minute.

After the game, Appiah, who was confident ahead of the clash, clarified that while the Nigerian team had some quality, their tactical approach was lacking. 

“The Nigerian team is not bad. They just need better coaching,” Appiah said, according to his post on the social media platform X. 

He praised his team's disciplined approach, noting how they absorbed pressure in the first 20 minutes before effectively counter-attacking. 

Appiah admitted he did not expect such a wide margin but emphasised that his team executed their game plan well.

Sudan’s convincing win not only propelled them to the top of their group on goal difference but also extinguished Nigeria’s hopes of progressing past the group stage, as they lost their earlier match to Senegal.

Eric Chelle, Nigeria’s coach, described the match as the worst he had overseen and lamented the team’s inability to meet expectations.

The loss leaves Nigeria at the bottom of the group with zero points and no goals scored.