Connect with us

CHAN

Chelle Lauds CHAN Quality Despite Nigeria’s Opening Loss to Senegal

blank

Published

on

blank

Nigeria’s CHAN head coach, Eric Chelle, has praised the high intensity and technical quality of the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) despite watching his side suffer a narrow 1-0 defeat to defending champions Senegal in their Group C opener on Tuesday.

Returning to the continental tournament after missing the last two editions, Nigeria fell behind in the 75th minute to a well-organised Senegalese side. But while disappointed with the result, Chelle was quick to commend the standard of play on display.

“I am surprised about the intensity,” Chelle admitted post-match. “There are a lot of good teams and a lot of quality. I think the pitches are very good, allowing for fast-paced and technical football. This would be a great CHAN competition.”

Nigeria had previously made strong appearances in 2014, 2016, and 2018, but missed out on qualification in 2020 and 2022. Expectations were high for the home-based Eagles, yet they were second-best for much of the opening half.

Chelle was candid in his assessment of the match, conceding that his team failed to match Senegal’s intensity early on and paid the price for a defensive lapse.

Advertisement

“Senegal deserved their victory because we just played 20 minutes in the second half,” he said. “During the first half, I didn’t recognize my team. Senegal was more aggressive than us, they put more intensity, and it’s very normal for them to go ahead and win.”

Despite a better showing in the second period—with Nigeria creating some chances and playing more confidently—Chelle acknowledged it was too little, too late.

“When we started playing, we created chances, kept the ball well, and showed glimpses of our attacking flair,” he noted. “But we need to be more ambitious and aggressive—to press higher up the pitch and win the ball back quickly.”

Now facing a must-win second group match against Sudan, Chelle emphasized the need for a change in mentality, calling on his players to step up and fight harder.

“We need to change our state of mind,” he said. “We need to be more aggressive, to dominate possession and create scoring opportunities. You simply can’t win matches if you lose all duels, especially in the midfield. We created no chances in the first half. We cannot let that happen.”

Advertisement

The former Mali international also shouldered the blame for the loss, taking responsibility while urging his team to bounce back.

“I don’t want to fault my players. I take responsibility,” he said. “I must remind my players that this is football. We should have a warrior’s mentality—to fight for every ball and never give up. I hope we win the second game.”

Looking ahead, Chelle remains optimistic that Nigeria can turn things around, drawing strength from the lessons learned against one of the competition’s top contenders.

“In the first presser, I said Senegal was the big team, and equally said we’ll like to take it game after game,” he concluded. “In a week’s time, we need to win the second game if we want to give ourselves hope.”

Nigeria will now aim to revive their CHAN campaign when they take on Sudan in a decisive encounter that could determine their fate in the competition.

Advertisement

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

CHAN

Eric Chelle Suffers First Defeat as Senegal edge Nigeria in fierce CHAN opener

blank

Published

on

blank

Defending champions Senegal began their African Nations Championship (CHAN) 2024 campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Nigeria on Tuesday, handing Super Eagles coach Éric Chelle his first defeat after eight matches in charge.

Christian Gomis netted the decisive goal in the 75th minute, converting a well-executed counterattack to seal the points in a fiercely contested Group D opener at the Amaan Stadium.

The clash between two of West Africa’s footballing giants lived up to expectations, delivering intensity and drama befitting the tournament, which is reserved exclusively for players competing in their respective domestic leagues.

Senegal, winners of the 2022 edition in Algeria, started with poise but faced early pressure from a physical and energetic Nigerian side returning to CHAN finals action for the first time since 2018.

The Super Eagles pressed high from the outset, with Nduka Junior and Raymond Tochukwu asserting themselves in midfield—though both picked up early yellow cards as tempers flared and tackles flew.

Advertisement

Despite the tension, clear-cut chances were limited in the first half. Sikiru Alimi forced a save from Senegal goalkeeper Marc Diouf midway through the opening 45 minutes, while Senegal’s Daouda Ba and Moctar Koïté tested Nigeria’s defence from distance.

The breakthrough finally came with 15 minutes to go. Substitute Moctar Koïté sprinted down the right wing and delivered a perfectly timed low cross into the box, where an unmarked Gomis calmly slotted home with his left foot—sending the Senegalese bench into celebration.

Nigeria responded with urgency, bringing on Vincent Temitope and Godwin Obaje in a bid to rescue a point. Temitope came closest with a low drive that narrowly missed the target, while Alimi and Jabbar Malik kept the Senegalese defence on high alert from set-pieces.

Senegal’s centre-back pairing of Seyni Ndiaye and Joseph Layousse stood firm under mounting pressure, while coach Souleymane Diallo’s late substitutions—including Bonaventure Fonseca and Pape Badji—helped slow the tempo and frustrate Nigeria’s efforts.

The closing stages saw a flurry of substitutions and injury stoppages, adding to the drama. Nigeria’s hopes of a late equaliser faded after Shola Adelani was penalised for handball in stoppage time, summing up a frustrating evening for Chelle’s men.

Advertisement

Despite the loss, Chelle remained optimistic post-match, urging his squad to “take each game as it comes,” with crucial fixtures against Congo and Sudan still to play in the group stage.

For Senegal, the victory not only places them atop Group D but also extends their unbeaten record against West African teams in CHAN. Remarkably, it also marks their sixth 1-0 win in the tournament’s history—a testament to their trademark defensive solidity.

Coach Diallo, who had downplayed the pressure of defending the title before the match, will be pleased as his players delivered a performance that was as resilient as it was clinical.

With both teams still having plenty to play for, the battle for a place in the quarter-finals promises to be anything but predictable.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Advertisement

Continue Reading

CHAN

Late Ekongo strike salvages point for Congo against Sudan

blank

Published

on

blank

Congo and Sudan played out a tense 1-1 draw in the opening Group D fixture of the African Nations Championship (CHAN) PAMOJA 2024 at the Amaan Stadium on Tuesday night, with both sides settling for a point in their pursuit of knockout stage qualification.

The biennial competition, reserved exclusively for players plying their trade in domestic African leagues, saw its first-ever meeting between Congo and Sudan deliver drama, intensity, and late heroics in front of a lively crowd in Zanzibar.

Musa Hussien gave Sudan the lead in the 29th minute, before Carly Ekongo’s 86th-minute strike ensured Congo began their fifth CHAN campaign without defeat.

It was Sudan who looked the more purposeful in the early exchanges, testing Congo goalkeeper Ulrich Samba with a barrage of set-pieces and half-chances.

Salah Adil headed wide from close range in the 10th minute, while Abdel Raouf Yagoub pulled the strings from midfield.

Advertisement

The opening goal came on the half-hour mark after sustained pressure from the Sudanese.

A double effort from Hussien—his first blocked by Samba—saw the striker pounce on the rebound and calmly slot the ball into the bottom corner from close range, putting Sudan 1-0 up.

Congo responded through Chadrac Osseby and Charles Atipo, both coming close before the break. However, the Red Devils struggled to find rhythm in the first half, trailing 1-0 at the interval.

Head coach Barthélemy Ngatsono rang the changes in the second half, introducing Carly Ekongo, Grace Mavoungou and Grace Nsemi in a triple substitution on the hour mark. The fresh legs helped Congo wrest back control.

Sudan continued to look dangerous on the counter and came agonisingly close to doubling their lead in the 90+2 minute when Mazin Simbo’s header was brilliantly saved by Samba, keeping Congo in the contest.

Advertisement

That stop proved crucial. Just four minutes later, Congo drew level. After sustained pressure and a quick exchange in the Sudanese box, Ekongo latched onto a loose ball and smashed home a low finish from close range, sending the Congolese bench into wild celebration.

The match ended with tension and physicality, as stoppage time stretched to ten minutes, with both sides pushing for a winner and tempers occasionally flaring.

Ulrich Samba once again came to Congo’s rescue, denying Simbo late on with a fine save.

The draw marks Congo’s first goal in open play in over three CHAN matches, ending a scoreless drought that dated back to 2020.

For Sudan, the result extends their winless run in open play at CHAN to five matches, but it also signals a step forward after a disappointing 2022 campaign.

Advertisement

Both teams will now turn their attention to their upcoming fixtures in Group D, where every point could prove vital in a tightly contested group.

Congo next face title holders Senegal, while Sudan prepare for a potentially decisive clash against Nigeria.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Advertisement
Continue Reading

CHAN

CHAN 2024: Nigeria begin title chase with historic clash against defending champions, Senegal

blank

Published

on

blank

Nigeria is playing their first African Nations Championship match since losing the title match to Morocco seven years ago. They already anticipate a blockbuster showdown with defending champions and West African football rivals, Senegal.

Although both are regional football powers, this Tuesday’s encounter will be their first clash at the African Nations Championship despite the rich football histories of both countries.

The setting is a Group B duel in Zanzibar, a chain of islands belonging to Tanzania. For Senegal, the fixture marks their 15th match in CHAN history, with Nigeria becoming the 14th different opponent they’ve faced.

Only Côte d’Ivoire has appeared on their schedule more than once. On the other side, this will be Nigeria’s 16th match in the competition’s history, with Senegal becoming their 15th different adversary. Only Morocco has faced the Super Eagles more than once in the competition.

The Senegalese are entering the match with a strong record against West African opposition at CHAN.

Advertisement

In four previous encounters, they remain unbeaten in open play, registering two wins and two draws. Their run includes a goalless draw with Côte d’Ivoire and a 1-1 draw with Ghana in 2009, the latter resulting in a penalty shootout defeat in the third-place playoff.

In the 2022 edition, they recorded narrow 1-0 victories over both Côte d’Ivoire and Mauritania in the group stage and quarterfinals, respectively.

Impressively, the Senegalese have kept three clean sheets in those four regional clashes, conceding only once.

Nigeria, meanwhile, will be facing the CHAN defending champions for the first time in the tournament’s history.

This match also marks their fifth appearance against West African opposition at CHAN. Their previous results include defeats to Mali and Guinea, a penalty shootout loss to Ghana after a draw, and a commanding 4-1 win over Niger, their only victory in such fixtures.

Advertisement

With both sides boasting formidable CHAN pedigrees and eager to start their Group B campaigns on a high note, the match promises to deliver an intense West African showdown, steeped in history, pride, and tactical intrigue.

Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H

Continue Reading

Most Viewed