By Wale Mustapha
Sudan head coach Kwesi Appiah has called for a tactical rethink within the Nigerian national team setup following his side’s emphatic 4–0 victory over the Super Eagles B in the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) on Tuesday in Zanzibar.
The result knocked Nigeria out of the tournament at the group stage after back-to-back defeats, with the team failing to register a single goal so far.
Appiah, speaking during his post-match press conference, admitted that while he expected a win, the margin of victory surprised even him.
“I knew we could win but never expected this scoreline,” said the former Ghana national team coach.
“The Nigerian team is not that bad, but they actually need some tactics to make sure they have a winning team.”
He criticized the Super Eagles’ tactical approach, describing their play as “slow” and “ineffective” in the attacking third.
The Sudanese boss, however, reserved praise for his players, applauding their composure and discipline across both halves of the encounter.
The win lifted Sudan to the top of Group C with four points, level with Senegal but ahead on goal difference. The two teams will face off next week to determine the group winner.
Meanwhile, Nigeria will conclude their campaign against Congo in what is now a dead rubber fixture, with only pride left to play for.
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.
