Former international, Fatai Amoo, has said Nigeria’s home-based Super Eagles can take valuable lessons from their early exit at the 2024 African Nations Championship.
Coach Eric Chelle’s squad failed to advance past the group stage, suffering defeats in their opening matches against defending champions Senegal and Sudan.
However, the Eagles ended their campaign on a positive note with a 2-0 win over Congo at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday night, thanks to goals from Anas Yusuf and Godwin Obaje.
Valuable Experience For The Future
“It was a tough outing for the team. Everyone expected them to do better, but you know sometimes in football things don’t usually go your way,” Amoo told Completesports.com.
“They didn’t perform badly in the first game against Senegal, but they lost. The second game against Sudan was really bad.
“It’s a good thing that they ended the competition with a win. The experience garnered at the competition will be valuable for the players in future.”
Pride Restored
Nigeria finished third in Group D with three points from three games, while Sudan topped the group thanks to a superior goal difference (+4 to Senegal’s +1).
Both Sudan and Senegal now advance to the quarter-finals, where their defensive capabilities will face stern challenges.