Super Eagles B Sseek final boost against Zanzibar ahead of CHAN 2025 opener vs Senegal

By Dayo Awoniyi

Nigeria’s home-based Super Eagles will aim to build momentum and fine-tune preparations for the 2025 African Nations Championship (CHAN) when they face Zanzibar again on Thursday in their final warm-up match.

The second of a two-match friendly series in Zanzibar comes just two days before Nigeria open their CHAN 2025 campaign against defending champions Senegal in Group D. Monday’s first encounter ended in a goalless draw at the centrally located Mau Stadium, where the Eagles dominated proceedings but failed to convert multiple scoring opportunities.

Despite the stalemate, standout performances were recorded from Adedayo Olamilekan, Hadi Haruna, Sikiru Alimi, and Harrison Tochukwu. Other players involved included goalkeeper Ozoemena Ani, captain Nduka Junior, Leonard Ngenge, Abdulrafiu Taiwo, Sodiq Ismaila, Ijoma Anthony, Harrison Ozondu, Akanni Qudus, Taofeek Otaniyi, Godwin Obaje, Jabbar Malik, and Shola Adelani.

Thursday’s rematch at the Mau Stadium offers head coach Salisu Yusuf one final opportunity to assess his squad and refine tactics ahead of the tournament opener.

Nigeria’s Group D campaign will begin against Senegal on Saturday, August 3, at the 15,000-capacity Amaan Stadium. They will then face Sudan on Tuesday, August 12, at the same venue, before rounding off the group stage against Congo on Tuesday, August 19, at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

The 8th edition of CHAN will run over four weeks and feature 19 nations, with matches spread across cities in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. While Groups A, B, and C comprise five teams each, Group D—containing Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, and Congo—has only four, raising the stakes for every fixture.

Other key venues include Kenya’s Moi International Sports Centre and Nyayo National Stadium, as well as Uganda’s Mandela National Stadium in Kampala.

Samuel Ahmadu

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.

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