Sudan on Tuesday thrashed Nigeria 4–0 in Zanzibar, climbing to the top of Group D and dumping the Super Eagles out of the tournament with a game to spare.
Abdel Raouf Yagoub, Sudan’s creative heartbeat, scored twice in the second half to add to Leonard Ngenge’s nightmare own goal and Walieldin Khdir’s emphatic penalty, sealing what coach Kwesi Appiah called “a disciplined, ruthless display that stuck to our plan from the first whistle to the last.”
“We were disciplined without the ball, fast in transition and ruthless in the box.
“Against a team like Nigeria, you can’t afford to switch off. Tonight, the boys executed perfectly,” Appiah said, according to a post-match report on the CAF website.
Nigeria had a promising start, with Raymond Tochukwu shooting wide at 11 minutes.
However, VAR ruled Anthony Ijoma’s goal offside at 22 minutes.
Three minutes later, Yagoub’s shot hit the post and rebounded into his own net.
It became worse soon before halftime: Ngenge handled in the box, Khdir took the penalties and thundered it into the top-right corner for 2-0.
“We lost concentration at key moments.
“Once you’re chasing Sudan, they make the pitch feel very small,” admitted Super Eagles boss Eric Chelle.
Chelle made three substitutions at halftime, but Jediane’s Falcons maintained their lead.
At 55 minutes, Musa Hussien’s tenacity paid off as Yagoub tucked coolly into the bottom-right corner.
Seven minutes later, he scored again, this time with a precise finish into the top-left corner after Sudan took advantage of a turnover.
From there, Appiah’s troops dominated the game. Midfielders Khdir, Yaser Awad, and Ali Abdalla searched in packs, full-backs timed their moves well, and goalkeeper Mohamed Abooja saved the few Nigerian opportunities that remained, notably Steven Manyo’s late header.
Nigeria’s CHAN campaign ended with a whimper due to lapses in concentration, wastefulness in attack, and vulnerabilities down the flanks.
Sudan, on the other hand, has a much brighter record: four points from two matches, five goals scored, and only one conceded.
They face Senegal in a top-of-the-table showdown, but Appiah has stated that they will not play for a draw.
“We respect Senegal, but we’re here to win every game.
“This result means nothing if we don’t follow it up,” he said.
