Former Nigeria international Abiodun Obafemi has expressed disappointment over the performance of the home-based Super Eagles players at the on-going 2024 CHAN tournament holding in the east Africa.
The Super Eagles B crashed out of the tournament following two losses to Senegal and Sudan and a face-saving 2-0 won over Congo
According to Obafemi, a soccer gold medal winners at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, none of the players deserved to be included in the Super Eagles’ 31-man provisional squad for next month’s 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
“Honestly, they did not do well to justify being included in the final list,” Obafemi said. “If we’re to judge them as Nigerians by what we saw in the tournament, I don’t think anyone of them deserves to be there (in the provisional team).
“None of them deserves to be there, I must confess.”
Obafemi’s comments come after Super Eagles coach Eric Chelle picked only 15-year-old goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt as the fourth goalkeeper in his 31-man provisional squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and South Africa. However, Obafemi believes that the home-based players failed to impress and didn’t merit invitations to the team.
As a former player in the German Bundesliga, Obafemi’s opinions carry weight as such his criticism of the home-based players raises questions about the future prospects of the players.
As the Super Eagles face stiff competition in their upcoming World Cup qualifiers in September, Obafemi’s comments will undoubtedly spark debate about the suitability or otherwise of the home-based professional players in the scheme of things.
With two losses and a face-saving last game victory against Congo , the Super Eagles B exited the 9th African Nations Championships in east Africa fuelling discussion among stakeholders about the state of Nigeria Premier Football League, writes TUNDE LIADI…
When the final whistle echoed through the night in Zanzibar penultimate Tuesday, it carried with it more than the weight of a 4–0 humiliation — it rang like an obituary for the illusion that all was well within Nigeria’s domestic football. The CHAN Eagles — Nigeria’s locally-based Super Eagles B — had not only crashed out of the 2024 African Nations Championship with back-to-back defeats to Senegal and Sudan but they had done so in a manner so uncharacteristic.
This week’s 2-0 defeat of Congo in their last Group D encounter did restore some pride to the Super Eagles B but it was classical case of too little, too late as Nigeria yet again failed to make hay at the tournament meant for players plying their trades on the continent and in their respective leagues.
“Out of everything, the Nigeria team was not that bad, ” Sudan’s Ghanaian coach Kwesi Appiah who masterminded the Super Eagles B’s second heaviest defeat in the competition’s history, said it with an ironic calm. And yet, like a surgeon diagnosing a festering wound, he revealed the core ailment: slow attacking play and a complete lack of tactical cohesion.
In contrast, former Super Eagles attacker, Brown Ideye who bade the game final bye this week, abandoned diplomatic niceties, saying bluntly: “Let’s stop lying to ourselves, we’re simply not good enough — that’s the bitter truth.”
From the sidelines of history, it might be tempting to dismiss such as frustration. But the evidence is overwhelming. CAF themselves labelled the Super Eagles B’s 4–0 drubbing in the hands of Sudan, as one of the “five biggest shocks in CHAN history.”
There was a time when the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) was seen as a reservoir of untapped potential. That illusion has now been publicly shattered.
“You’re one of those who think we have the best league in Africa? Shame,” Ideye further stated “The result proves we still have a long way to go.”
Beggar Belief
Azubuike Egwuekwe, another ex-international who was in the Super Eagles B side that won a CHAN Bronze medal in 2014, echoed the same sentiments: “I still find it hard to believe that a country like Sudan would beat us 4-0. It showed that our league is not growing.”
Their pain is shared. It is not just about a match lost. It is about a foundation weakened by neglect, mismanagement, and a lack of vision. The CHAN tournament is specifically designed to celebrate local leagues but as for Nigeria, it has become a mirror whose reflection is far from flattering.
Another ex-international, Benedict Akwuegbu, a long-time advocate for structural reform, summed it up best: “We need to go back to the drawing board… We must have a structure and the tradition of how we do our things.” Nigeria’s football, it seems, is too often reactive — fixing leaks instead of rebuilding the roof.”
And when the team flounders, the blame is scattered like broken glass — with shards landing on players, coaches, and the federation.
But former Atlanta 1996 Soccer gold medallist, Abiodun Obafemi rightly pointed out: “the coach won’t enter the pitch and make them play. There is a disconnect between training ground promises and real-match performances, and that gap, if not addressed, will continue to widen.”
Even the best preparation can’t compensate for a lack of fundamentals, according to Obafemi: “The boys couldn’t even make common five or 10 metres passes. They lacked the basic element of the game.”
Speaking on Eagles 7 FM sports programme, 90 Minutes with Mathematical Segun Odegbami, former Flying Eagles recruit, Bestman Nze-Jumbo, has revealed that the major problem encounter by the Super Eagles B players that led to the team’s poor CHAN showing, was their inability to properly interpret the playing pattern and tactics of the coaches.
This in itself speaks volume about the standard of the home-based players at a period a section of the public and press was clamouring for more of their inclusion in the main Super Eagles.
“One of the major problems is that they (the players) were unable to interpret tactics as said by the head coach himself. Whose fault is it? If the coaches that are supposed to groom them from the grassroots are not what they ought to be, how you expect them to grow into the product we want them to be?” he asked rhetorically.
He continued: “I doubt if it is really our best players that represented us at the 2024 CHAN. In the past, coaches pick players on merit but I am sure it is not the best of our local players that played in CHAN. Scouts want to project their own players, so we lose our best talents either on the bench or not picked at all.”
Nze-Jumbo also highlighted systemic issues within Nigerian football leagues: “We still do not have that league where the away team will be so confident to win away, and when this is done, we compromise standards. These will show when we go to international tournaments.
“I’m not one of those who questioned the selection of Chelle because he is Malian, as I have watched and assessed him. But the 4-0 loss to Sudan is unexplainable to me,” he said.
Be that as it may, former Super Eagles goalkeeper with CHAN and AFCON experience, Chigozie Agbim, blamed Nigeria’s CHAN failure on poor preparation and questionable player selection, not on the NPFL’s quality.
“We have a strong and quality league with players who’ve excelled even in Europe,” Agbim insisted.
Citing Nigeria’s past successes in the competition, he expressed shock at the team’s poor showing in the current edition, especially the 0–4 loss to Sudan.
For Agbim, the result was “disheartening” and did not reflect the nation’s football pedigree.
Hopeful future
Equally, Ex- coach of the CHAN Eagles, Salisu Yusuf, has dismissed claims that the CHAN failure reflected the NPFL’s standard.
“The NPFL is one of the best in Africa,” Yusuf asserted, urging critics to focus on the team’s structure, coaching, and tournament planning, rather than using the results to judge the league.
Yusuf who led Nigeria to the silver medal at the 2018 CHAN held in Morocco, emphasized that a team’s performance is only as strong as its organization, preparation, and technical direction. Yusuf suggested that administrative and coaching inefficiencies played a larger role in the failure than quality of the players.
For Franco Malian coach Eric Sekou Chelle, the Super Eagles were only undone with the losses against Senegal and Sudan, adding there were still positives to be taken after his wards grinded the win against Congo on Tuesday.
“We showed our technical ability in the last part of the match, but we lost several balls before that,” Chelle reflected. “In any case, we played well. Our performance was great and we deserved to win the match. I really feel sorry because our last match was good, but the previous two matches had mistakes. We started at a high speed and had a lot of possession.”
He added: “The pressure was high on these young players, and they sometimes played scared. But during the last match against Congo, they played for honor, and that’s why they performed well.
“Let down doesn’t come from winning this match. Our players responded to the previous results and said they didn’t want to go home with zero points.
“Our deep regret stems from our heavy defeat to Sudan, but that’s football.
“We will carefully analyse the Sudan match to make up for what happened in the future.”
Urgent need for restructuring
Nevertheless, from Lagos to Lokoja; Bauchi to Benin; Port-Harcourt to Potiskum, stakeholders believe the way forward for the domestic Nigerian football must include the followings amongst others:
Revamp the NPFL: The league must be professionalized not just in name, but in function — from administration to infrastructure to player welfare. Talent needs a fertile ground to grow, not a wasteland of mediocrity.
Investment in coaching development: Former Super Eagles left back, Ifeanyi Udeze’s words ring true: “It is not only the league but the coaches too must update their knowledge of the game.” Grassroots coaching, technical education, and tactical evolution must become national priorities.
Building an accountability-based football culture: As Akwuegbu noted, Nigeria has a habit of “overlooking things.” The country must institute systems that hold administrators, coaches, and players accountable — not just after defeats, but continually.
Merit-based scouting : Player selection must be merit-based and guided by robust scouting systems. The days of relying on reputations or influence must end. Real talent exists in the local leagues — it must be found, nurtured, and tested.
Strategic technical leadership: The appointment of coaches, especially for national teams, must be based on long-term philosophy, not short-term sentiments or regional politics. Nigeria needs a footballing identity — one that is taught, transmitted, and respected at all levels.
Indeed, Nigeria’s Super Eagles B may be out of CHAN PAMOJA 2024 but this could be a blessing in disguise only if the nation chooses to learn from it.
The time for excuses is over. This is no longer about one bad tournament, or one tactically naïve performance. It is about a footballing system in decline, and a country that can no longer hide behind past glories.
The future of Nigerian football — and the dignity of its domestic game — now depends on whether the leadership has the courage to confront the truth, or continue papering over cracks with fragile optimism.
The Super Eagles B caged Congo’s Red Devils with two goals in the second half in the Tanzanian capital, Dar es Salaam but their firepower came too late as both teams were eliminated from the 8th African Nations Championship at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.
Congo had hopes of inching their way into the knockout rounds before kick-off, with two points from their first two matches, including a fit-fighting draw with champions Senegal. On their part, the Eagles already had their bags packed for the journey home after an underwhelming first two games of the group phase in which they lost by a lone goal to Senegal and were battered for four by Sudan.
Both teams did not present a spectacle in the first period, with no clear-cut opportunities created, though the Red Devils could have gone ahead in the 25th minute when Nigeria captain Nduka Junior bungled a simple pass and was lucky the opposing striker could not keep his header down in front of junior international goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt.
Nigeria returned from recess with obvious renewed vigour, and it was no surprise when Anas Yusuf connected home beautifully, a headed pass by Sikiru Alimi in the 56th minute, following a cross by defender Abdulrafiu Taiwo.
The 2018 silver medallists, who had not scored a goal in the competition since winning their semi-final clash with Sudan in Marrakech seven years ago, pushed forward more and more, and got a second goal three minutes into added time through Sikiru Alimi.
Cup-holders Senegal and Sudan make it to the quarter-finals from Group D, while the Eagles are expected back home tomorrow.
The Super Eagles yesterday crashed out of the 8th African Nations Championship after an abject performance by a team that failed to put any foot right against Sudan in 90 minutes of football in Zanzibar.
The defeat on the Indian Ocean Island, following from the one-goal defeat by Cup-holders Senegal a week earlier, meant the Eagles B will pack their bags and exit the competition, no matter the result of their final Group D encounter against Congo in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday next week.
The humiliation was a joint-record defeat for Nigeria in the 26-year-old competition – a similar score line to their defeat by hosts Morocco in the Final of the 2018 championship.
Defender Leonard Ngenge, culpable for his infamous walking pace while Senegal sped forward to score their only goal in Nigeria’s first match on Tuesday last week, scored an own goal against his team in the 23rd minute, setting the stage for a rout that left ball fans aghast across the land.
Sudan raced to 2-0 up just before half-time when the same Ngenge, who plays for Ikorodu City in the Nigeria Premier Football League, clumsily touched the ball with his hand in an aerial contest, and Daiyeen made no mistake from the spot against the hapless Lawal Mustapha.
Only 10 minutes into the second period, it was 3-0 as Yagoub Omer finished with a flourish after the Sudanese turned the Nigeria defence inside out, and there was no meaningful effort by all of five defenders to checkmate the marauding Falcons of Jediane.
It got worse seven minutes later, when Sudan poured forward again, and Omer showed audacious technique to blast the ball onto the underside of the crossbar and watch it drop into the net behind a beleaguered Mustapha.
Nigeria’s bounce-back-ability credentials on the football field will again be subjected to a stern test when the home-based senior men national team take on Sudan’s Falcons of Jediane in a must-win 8th Africa Nations Championship group D encounter in Zanzibar today.
Title-holders Senegal scored with their only shot on goal with only a quarter-hour left in the two teams’ clash on Tuesday last week, rendering this Tuesday’s clash with the Sudanese a win-or-wind-up for the Super Eagles B. Venue is the same 15,000 -capacity Amaan Stadium on the island of Zanzibar where the 2018 runners-up fell to their West African rivals.
Head Coach Eric Chelle admitted after Tuesday’s setback that his charges must go into clear-eyed overdrive to cut the feathers of the Falcons and go ahead to drive Congo’s Devils into the ditch a week later, to stand any realistic chance of making it to the knockout rounds in the rather irregular 19-nation finals.
“I just want to win this game against Sudan; this is my game project. We are under pressure but we are ambitious and must win tomorrow. This game is the most important for us because a win can bring something good for the team,” Chelle said at Monday’s pre-match press conference.
Team captain Nduka Harrison Junior said: “We want to take each game as it comes, and next for us is Sudan. The previous game was a setback and not a disaster. We have a point to prove and we are ready to correct our mistakes.”
The Falcons, who also had their spirit dampened by a late equalizer that ensured they took home only one point instead of three in their clash with Congo just before the Nigeria and Senegal tango, are however poised for a fight on the Indian Ocean Island.
“Nigeria is one of the biggest nations in African football and we respect them, but we won’t fear them. I don’t believe in any rivalry; this is a game and the best team will win. I have watched only one game of the Nigerian team and can’t assess them based on one game. I don’t see any player as a threat, but the entire team,” said Kwesi Appiah, head coach of Sudan.
The stage is set for a blockbuster of a showdown at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar on this evening, starting from 6pm.
As the Super Eagles B team prepares to take on Sudan in their second Group D match of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) today it has been revealed that Goalkeeper, Ani Ozoemena is still out injured and yet to recover from his knee complaint but defender Abdulrafiu Taiwo has resumed training.
The medical team has confirmed that Ani is only able to engage in light training sessions, effectively ruling him out of tomorrow’s match against Sudan. His absence will be a significant blow for the Nigerian side, as his experience and composure between the sticks have been vital assets.
Adding to the team’s earlier worries, there had been fitness concerns surrounding left-back Abdulrafiu Taiwo, who had missed a few sessions due to a muscle strain.
However, there was some relief for head coach Eric Sekou Chelle as Taiwo returned to full training during the final session and is expected to be available for selection. His return adds much-needed depth and balance to the defense.
In the wake of Ani’s injury, the Nigeria Football Federation moved swiftly to reinforce the goalkeeping department, bringing in Ebenezer Harcourt, a promising Under-20 goalkeeper. Harcourt’s arrival has not only addressed the immediate goalkeeping gap but also significantly lifted the morale of the squad.
Despite his young age, Harcourt comes with a reputation for sharp reflexes and composure under pressure, traits that could prove vital in a high-stakes tie like this. His inclusion has sparked fresh energy among the players, with teammates rallying around the youngster in training.
Camp sources claimed Harcourt has settled in quickly, embracing the challenge and displaying commendable work ethic in the lead-up to the game.
With the final training session concluded and preparations complete, all eyes are now on today’s crucial match against Sudan, which kicks off at 8:00pm local time (6:00pm Nigeria time). The Super Eagles B will be aiming to secure a vital three points after a mixed start to their CHAN campaign.
While injuries have posed challenges, the team remains focused and determined. The timely recovery of Abdulrafiu Taiwo and the arrival of Harcourt have helped restore balance and confidence as the squad looks to stay competitive in Group D.
The Super Eagles B will need to dig deep and rally behind their new goalkeeper as they aim for a positive result against a physical and well-organized Sudanese side.
Cup-holders Senegal scored with their only shot on goal after a subtle onslaught that teased goalkeeper Lawal Mustapha out of his goalpost, and enabled the Senegalese strikers the opportunity to score the only goal of their African Nations Championship Group B clash in Zanzibar with 15 minutes left.
The high-octane encounter in the Indian Ocean Island lived up to its billing, with both teams matched strength-for-strength and pace-for-pace for large swathes of the game at the Amaan Stadium.
Goalkeeper Lawal Mustapha read quite well a good cross from the left in the 21st minute, and in the 33rd minute, the Lions of Teranga came close again from a free kick on the right.
Despite dominating possession, and throwing bodies manfully during attrition, the Eagles came just short of carving out clear opportunities, as the West African rivals defended with resolution.
Leonard Ngenge and captain Junior Nduka worked hard at the rear, just as Tochukwu Michael and Olamilekan Adedayo in the midfield, but Senegal threw several men at every Nigerian onslaught and denied the Eagles clear sight of goal.
With a minute left, the Cup-holders could have added another goal with a flowing team move, but Ngenge and Nduka were on hand to clear their lines.
Defeat means the Eagles occupy the bottom of group D without a point, following the earlier 1-1 draw between Congo and Sudan which meant the two teams shared the spoils.
Next up for Nigeria is their second match of the group phase, against Sudan, also at the Amaan Stadium, on Tuesday next week.
The Super Eagles B yesterday played a pulsating goalless draw with their Zanzibar counterparts in a pre- 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN ) friendly match.
New additions to the CHAN Eagles like midfielder Michael Tochukwu, fullbacks Taiwo Abdulrafiu and Leonard Ngenge as well as striker Anthony Ijoma reportedly caught the eye in this contest.
There were as many as six players from Remo Stars who started today’s match as coach Eric Chelle has built the team around the NPFL champions.
The home-based Super Eagles will play a second test game against the same team Thursday.
In a related development, the Super Eagles B team is poised to compete for a significantly enhanced prize pool at the upcoming 2024 CHAN.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced that the tournament champions will now take home an impressive $3.5 million, a major increase aimed at elevating the profile of the competition.
The CHAN 2024 tournament will be jointly hosted by Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya, and features national teams composed exclusively of players active in domestic leagues.
CAF President Patrice Motsepe stated that the increased prize money reflects the organization’s commitment to rewarding excellence and investing in African football at all levels.
Nigeria’s inclusion in the tournament presents a valuable opportunity for home-based players to showcase their talents on the continental stage while competing for one of the largest prize purses in CHAN history.
The Super Eagles B team otherwise called CHAN Eagles have left their training base in Ikenne for Zanzibar venue of their group games at the 8th African Nations Championship (CHAN) co-hosted by Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Led by head coach Eric Chelle, the squad departed the Remo Stars Sports Institute—where they had been camped for the past three weeks— yesterday evening. The team is en route to Lagos ahead of their scheduled flight to Zanzibar later tonight.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has arranged a second phase of preparations in Zanzibar, running from July 25 to 31. During this period, the 2018 CHAN silver medallists will settle into their official accommodation on the island and continue their build-up to the tournament.
The team bus left Ikenne around 5:05 p.m., headed to Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos, where they boarded an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Zanzibar.
As part of their pre-tournament preparations, the NFF has also lined up two friendly matches for the Super Eagles B against the Zanzibar senior national team. These are scheduled for Monday, July 28, and Thursday, July 31.
Earlier yesterday, the team held their final training session at the Ikenne camp, with all selected players in full participation.
Nigeria’s campaign at CHAN 2024 will begin with group-stage matches against Senegal and Sudan at the Amman Stadium in Zanzibar. They will then travel to Dar es Salaam to face Congo at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium.
