Sudan delivered a stunning 4–0 victory over Nigeria in Zanzibar on Tuesday, climbing to the top of Group D and knocking the Super Eagles out of the African Nations Championship with a game to spare.
Abdel Raouf Yagoub was the star of the night, scoring twice in the second half to add to Leonard Ngenge’s unfortunate own goal and Walieldin Khdir’s emphatic penalty. Coach Kwesi Appiah hailed the display as “disciplined, ruthless, and executed perfectly from start to finish.”
Early promise, swift collapse
Nigeria started brightly, creating early chances and thought they had taken the lead in the 22nd minute through Anthony Ijoma, only for VAR to rule it out for offside. Moments later, Yagoub’s shot struck the post and ricocheted off Ngenge into his own net.
Things worsened just before the break when Ngenge handled in the box, allowing Khdir to smash home a penalty for 2–0. “We lost concentration at key moments. Once you’re chasing Sudan, they make the pitch feel very small,” admitted Nigeria coach Eric Chelle.
Yagoub finishes the job
Despite triple substitutions at half-time, Nigeria couldn’t wrest control. On 55 minutes, Musa Hussien’s pressing set up Yagoub to slot into the bottom corner. Seven minutes later, the playmaker struck again with a precise finish into the top-left.
From there, Sudan shut the game down. Khdir, Yaser Awad, and Ali Abdalla dominated midfield, the full-backs advanced with precision, and goalkeeper Mohamed Abooja denied Steven Manyo’s late header to preserve the clean sheet.
A tale of two campaigns
Nigeria exit the tournament without a goal, conceding five in two games. Sudan, meanwhile, have scored five and conceded just one. They face Senegal next, needing only a draw to potentially progress, but Appiah insists they will play to win: “This result means nothing if we don’t follow it up.”
While title holders Senegal were held by Congo, Sudan’s travelling fans celebrated a famous night — and Nigeria’s players left the pitch in silence.
0 Comments