By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigeria’s home-based national team, Eagles B, suffered a humiliating 4–0 defeat to Sudan on Tuesday, sealing their early exit from the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Zanzibar.
The loss, Nigeria’s second of the tournament following a 1–0 defeat to defending champions Senegal, ensures their elimination from Group D regardless of the outcome of their final match against Congo in Dar es Salaam next week.
Tuesday’s heavy defeat equals Nigeria’s worst-ever result in CHAN history, matching the 4–0 loss to Morocco in the 2018 final. It marks a deeply disappointing campaign for the 2018 runners-up, whose performances have drawn criticism from fans and analysts alike.
The match began disastrously for Nigeria when under-fire defender Leonard Ngenge inadvertently scored an own goal in the 23rd minute. The same player conceded a penalty just before halftime, which Sudanese forward Daiyeen calmly converted to double the lead.
Sudan continued their dominance after the break. Yagoub Omer struck twice in a 17-minute span — first finishing off a well-worked team move, then unleashing a thunderous shot that rattled in off the underside of the crossbar — as Nigeria’s defence collapsed under pressure.
The result leaves Nigeria rooted to the bottom of the group with zero points and no goals scored. It is one of the lowest points in the country’s CHAN history and a stark contrast to past campaigns that saw them reach the semifinals or final.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
