Sudan head coach Kwesi Appiah has shed light on how his team dismantled Nigeria with a 4-0 win at the ongoing African Nations Championship (CHAN), a result that stunned football fans across the continent.
The Falcons of Jediane were gifted the opener in the 23rd minute when Nigerian defender Leonard Ngenge, already under scrutiny for his sluggish defending in their opening game against Senegal, scored an own goal.
Just before the break, Ngenge’s woes deepened as he conceded a penalty with a clumsy handball in an aerial duel. Daiyeen converted confidently, sending Sudan into halftime with a commanding 2-0 lead.
The second half brought more misery for Nigeria. Ten minutes after the restart, Yagoub Omer capped off a slick Sudanese move with a composed finish to make it 3-0. Seven minutes later, Omer struck again — this time with a thunderous effort that crashed off the underside of the crossbar and into the net, sealing an emphatic win.
While the result effectively ended Nigeria’s CHAN campaign after back-to-back defeats, Appiah insisted the scoreline flattered Sudan. He attributed the victory to Nigeria’s tactical shortcomings under interim coach Eric Chelle, who replaced Fidelis Ikechukwu and Daniel Ogunmodede after the qualifiers.
“I wasn’t expecting that scoreline. I knew we could beat Nigeria but not by that scoreline (4-0). The Nigerian team is not that bad. They just need some tactical improvement,” Appiah said.
