Tag: Kwesi Appiah

Sudan coach Kwesi Appiah was rue to rue his team’s missed chances as they came up short again at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) following a 1-0 defeat to Madagascar in the semi-finals on Tuesday.

The pattern repeated for the Falcons of Jediane in Morocco as they fell at the penultimate hurdle for the third time, having also lost their last-four encounters in 2011 and 2018.

Appiah’s side had gone through the group stages unbeaten and they eliminated 2022 finalists Algeria on penalties in the quarters to book a date with the Barea at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.

But Sudan failed to make the most of their numerical advantage after Fenohasina Razafimaro was sent off for a second yellow card on 79 minutes and they were made to pay when Toky Rakotondraibe scored the winner in the 116th minute.

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 “I think that tactically, the second half was not on our side. In a football match, the winning team should not waste the only opportunity it gets to score,” Appiah said. “Our opponents, Madagascar, played well, and with only 10 players, they were good.”

Appiah believes their run to the semi-finals will put them in good stead for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations later this year after admitting his players were at peak condition due to the absence of a domestic league.

 “This is a building process, and unfortunately, for two and a half years, we haven’t had a league in Sudan. If things stabilize and the local league resumes, things might improve, and we can hope for better results,” he added.

 “We believe that with determination, we can achieve what we want, and we will do well in our upcoming matches. This tournament gave us, first and foremost, an opportunity to win matches and compete.

“We have four players in the senior team who will join us in the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations. We will work to ward off the spectre of defeat and improve our performance in the future.”

CAF also carpets Chelle’s boys

Yusuf Kareem

Former Nigeria International Brown Ideye  and Ghanaian coach Kwesi Appiah   has described the Super  Eagles B ‘S listless performance in Tuesday’s  4-0 shelling by Sudan  at the 8^th African Nations Championship in Zanzibar as the  height of  tactical naivety.

Under Franco-Malian  coach Eric Sekou Chelle  the Super Eagles B side otherwise known as CHAN  Eagles  floundered  beyond oblivion in what has equally been  described  by the organisers of the tournament, the Confederation of African Football (CAF), as one of the five  biggest shock results in CHAN history.

Appiah, the  Ghanaian former left-back who marshalled  Sudan’s famous win over Nigeria on Tuesday, chided  the coach Chelle-led side  for their overall poor showing .

“Out of everything, the Nigeria team was not that bad,” he said in what  at best , can be an ironical statement.

He continued:  “The only thing I observed was that their attack was a bit slow, and the tactical play needs improvement across the whole team.

“People might think they didn’t perform well, but I believe in this game, they did their best.”

If Appiah’s words look like a soothing balm on  a deflated  Nigerian side  who  has crashed out of the tournament after losing their opener to Senegal, Ideye minced no words, adding the team simply lacked quality players.

“Let’s stop lying to ourselves and blaming someone else every time we fail,” Ideye said. “We’re simply not good enough — that’s the bitter truth.

“ A coach can only work with what he has, and right now, we don’t have what it takes to compete on the big stage.”

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The former Olympiakos striker berated  those who think Nigeria has one of  the best domestic leagues in Africa.

 “You’re one of those who think we have the best league in Africa?  Shame. The result you saw yesterday proves we still have a long way to go in developing real talent from the home league,” he added.

Meanwhile, in its own damning verdict, CAF noted that the CHAN Eagles were outclassed  and outmanoeuvred by a clearly tactically-adroit Sudanese side.

 “The dust had barely settled in Zanzibar when the football world began to grasp the magnitude of what had just happened. Sudan — a side often regarded as outsiders on the continental stage — had dismantled Nigeria’s locally-based Super Eagles 4–0, knocking them out of CHAN PAMOJA 2024 with a game to spare.

“In  one night, they  (Sudan) turned the script upside down, leaving pundits searching for explanations and fans replaying the goals in disbelief,” CAF Stated inter alia.  “It wasn’t just the scoreline. It was the manner: disciplined defending, lethal finishing, and a collective unity that rendered Nigeria’s pedigree meaningless.”

“Abdel Raouf Yagoub’s brace, combined with a Leonard Ngenge own goal and Walieldin Khdir’s emphatic penalty, told the story on paper. But the real tale was one of precision, patience, and an underdog refusing to be intimidated.

This seismic result will go down as one of the competition’s biggest shocks .”

Sudan’s  Ghanaian  coach Kwesi Appiah has warned the Super Eagles ahead of  crucial second Group D game at the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) in Tanzania.

The Sudanese team were held to a 1-1 draw by Congo in their opening Group D match at Amman Stadium on Tuesday. Despite the result, Appiah praised his players for their determination under difficult circumstances, noting the impact of an inactive domestic league on their fitness.

 “We’ve had no active league back home, which has really affected the players’ fitness levels. It’s not about confidence — they’re just not in peak physical shape,” he admitted.

He further  revealed that Sudan had only four days of training prior to the tournament, contributing to muscle injuries and minor tactical lapses.

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“We’re struggling with muscle pulls, and there’s a bit of tactical indiscipline we need to address. But overall, I wouldn’t say it was a bad performance,” he added.

Appiah also emphasized the mental aspect of his role, explaining that he has held multiple sessions to keep the players psychologically prepared for the competition. “It’s a psychological battle too. I’ve had to hold several meetings just to get the players mentally ready to perform at this level. It’s not easy, but I must keep motivating them,” he said.

Looking ahead to the clash with Nigeria, Appiah expressed optimism about having additional preparation time.

 “We have a week to prepare for Nigeria, and that gives me a chance to make the necessary adjustments and improve the team,” he noted.

Sudan will face Nigeria next Tuesday at Amman Stadium, with a win likely to boost their chances of advancing to the knockout stages.