Sudan head coach, Kwesi Appiah, whose team stunned Nigeria with a 4–0 victory at the ongoing CHAN Championship, has explained how his side managed to overpower the Super Eagles.
The rout began in the 23rd minute when defender Leonard Ngenge, already criticised for his sluggish display in Nigeria’s opening defeat to Senegal, diverted the ball into his own net.
That early blow set the tone for a night to forget for Nigerian fans.
Sudan doubled their advantage just before the break after Ngenge, who plays for Ikorodu City in the Nigeria Premier Football League, handled the ball in an aerial duel.
Daiyeen stepped up and converted the resulting penalty past a stranded Lawal Mustapha.
10 minutes after the restart, Yagoub Omer added a third, finishing brilliantly after Sudan’s sharp attacking play left Nigeria’s backline in disarray.
Seven minutes later, Omer struck again, smashing the ball off the underside of the crossbar and watching it drop behind the line.
Though the emphatic scoreline guaranteed Nigeria’s early exit from the tournament following two straight losses, Appiah admitted the margin was surprising.
“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.
Appiah also pointed to Nigeria’s poor tactical approach under Eric Chelle, who had replaced Austine Eguavoen in February, as the major factor in Sudan’s dominant win.
