“Worst game I’ve ever overseen” – Chelle laments as Sudan humiliate CHAN Eagles

By Dayo Awoniyi 

Nigeria’s CHAN coach Eric Chelle has labeled Tuesday’s humiliating 4-0 loss to Sudan as the lowest point of his managerial career, following what has been described as one of the most disappointing performances in Nigeria’s African Nations Championship history.

Speaking after the crushing defeat, which was Nigeria’s joint-heaviest loss in the tournament’s history, Chelle admitted his team was beyond redemption and lacked the ambition needed to salvage their campaign.

“We have lost all ambition. The CHAN is over for us. We have a third match to play for our honour and respect, but I am disappointed by this match,” said Chelle. “It is the worst game I’ve ever overseen from the dugout as a coach.”

The loss not only marked a dramatic fall for Nigeria, but also made them the first team in the 2024 CHAN to concede four goals in a single match.

The defeat extended Nigeria’s goal drought to 180 minutes, with the Super Eagles failing to score in their two games so far. Despite having a few chances, they managed only a handful of shots on target, underlining their lack of attacking potency.

The Nigerian coach also expressed frustration at the absence of key domestic players, some of whom had left the national team camp ahead of the competition.

“Though some important players left our preparations camp, these were the best players in our league,” Chelle said. “We can’t play a game like that and lose in the manner we did. We need to be more focused.”

Despite the disappointing result, Chelle emphasized that the team had put in adequate preparations for the game, stating that their analysis of Sudan’s strengths had been thorough.

However, he acknowledged that the team was unprepared for the numerous mistakes that cost them dearly on the field.

“Our training session before the game went well. We analysed Sudan’s team. We prepared well but were not ready for as many mistakes,” Chelle added.

With the CHAN Eagles eliminated from the tournament following back-to-back defeats, Nigeria will face Congo in their final group match on Tuesday, August 19, 2025.

However, the result will be largely inconsequential as they can no longer qualify for the knockout stage.

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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