CHAN 2024: War- torn Sudan humiliate Nigeria 4–0 to end Eagles’ campaign

Yagoub at the double as Sudan defeat Nigeria 4–0 and send Super Eagles out of CHAN | CAF Website

The Punch ------ War- torn Sudan on Tuesday thrashed higher-ranked Nigeria 4–0 under the lights in Zanzibar, climbing to the top of Group D and dumping the Super Eagles out of the tournament with a game to spare.

Abdel Raouf Yagoub, Sudan’s creative heartbeat, struck twice in the second half to add to Leonard Ngenge’s nightmare own goal and Walieldin Khdir’s emphatic penalty, sealing what coach Kwesi Appiah called “a disciplined, ruthless display that stuck to our plan from the first whistle to the last.”

“We were disciplined without the ball, fast in transition and ruthless in the box.

“Against a team like Nigeria, you can’t afford to switch off. Tonight, the boys executed perfectly,” Appiah said, according to a post match report on the CAF website.

First-half heartbreak for Nigeria

Nigeria began brightly, peppering Sudan’s box with early corners and seeing Raymond Tochukwu fire just wide on 11 minutes.

The breakthrough seemed theirs when Anthony Ijoma stole in to score on 22 minutes — only for VAR to chalk it off for offside.

Within three minutes, disaster struck. Yagoub’s drive clattered the post and rebounded cruelly off Ngenge into his own net.

It went from bad to worse just before half-time: Ngenge handled in the box, Khdir stepped up, and thundered the penalty into the top-right corner for 2–0.

“We lost concentration at key moments.

“Once you’re chasing Sudan, they make the pitch feel very small,” admitted Nigeria boss Eric Chelle

Chelle threw on three substitutes at the break, but the momentum stayed firmly with the Falcons of Jediane.

On 55 minutes, Musa Hussien’s persistence paid off as Yagoub slotted coolly into the bottom-right corner.

Seven minutes later, he struck again, sweeping a pinpoint finish into the top-left after Sudan pounced on a turnover.

From there, Appiah’s men locked the game down. Midfielders Khdir, Yaser Awad, and Ali Abdalla hunted in packs, the full-backs timed their advances smartly, and goalkeeper Mohamed Abooja repelled the few Nigerian chances that remained — including Steven Manyo’s late header.

No goals scored, five conceded

Two matches. No goals scored. Five conceded. Nigeria’s CHAN campaign ends with a whimper, undone by lapses in concentration, wastefulness in attack, and vulnerabilities down the flanks.

For Sudan, the numbers are far brighter: four points from two matches, five goals scored, and just one conceded. They face Senegal in a top-of-the-table showdown, needing only a draw to potentially advance — but Appiah made it clear they won’t play for one.

“We respect Senegal, but we’re here to win every game.

“This result means nothing if we don’t follow it up,” he said.

On a night when title holders Senegal were held by Congo, Sudan earned every cheer from their travelling fans, while Nigeria’s players left the pitch with heads bowed, PUNCH Online reports.