Nigeria had suffered their earliest African Nations Championship exit after defeats to Senegal and Sudan left them bottom of Group D, with no goals scored, no points earned, and five conceded.
A promising build-up with rapid collapse
Nigeria entered CHAN 2025 on the back of a 3-1 aggregate victory over Ghana in the qualifiers, completed in December 2024. The squad had included NPFL top scorer Anas Yusuf and left-back Harrison Uzondu. Expectations had been raised by the 2018 CHAN final appearance, despite the loss to Morocco. However, the group stage was not of a good experience. Against Senegal, Nigeria managed one shot on target. Against Sudan, they failed to register any.
Coaching change disrupts momentum
The Nigerian Football Federation replaced Daniel Ogunmodede with Eric Chelle before the tournament. Ogunmodede’s team had been compact and disciplined. Chelle’s restructured side showed defensive fragility and a blunt attack. According to observers, his unfamiliarity with NPFL dynamics contributed to tactical inefficiency. Possession exceeded 60% against Sudan, yet no meaningful chances were created.
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Post-match explanations fail to convince
Chelle attributed the poor results to costly errors and the departure of key players to overseas clubs before the tournament. Analysts argued that this did not excuse under-utilising proven NPFL forwards. Former Nigeria defender Ifeanyi Udeze described the display as disgraceful and urged the coach to accept responsibility.
Selection decisions under scrutiny
Top scorer Anas Yusuf remained an unused substitute in both matches. Shola Adelani, with 12 league goals, appeared only briefly against Sudan. Temitope Vincent, with seven goals, was not fielded. Harrison Uzondu played 22 minutes in total. Leonard Ngenge, whose errors against Sudan directly led to two goals, retained his place. Critics also noted a heavy reliance on Remo Stars players at the expense of in-form talents from other clubs.
Sudan defeat captures the crisis
Against Sudan, a disallowed Nigerian goal was followed by Ngenge’s own goal, a conceded penalty, and two further strikes by Abdel Raouf. Sudan’s coach, Kwesi Appiah, acknowledged surprise at the margin of victory. His tactical setup exploited Nigeria’s disorganisation and weak defending.
Senegal defeat as early warning
The loss to defending champions Senegal had already exposed structural problems. Slow defending allowed Senegal’s goal, while Nigeria’s substitutions failed to improve attacking output. Appiah later advised that possession without penetration was ineffective, a view shared by many supporters online.
Systemic preparation failures
Nigeria’s late coaching change left limited time for tactical integration. The August tournament clashed with NPFL pre-season, while player transfers abroad disrupted the squad list. South Africa, using mostly free agents, still managed a draw with Algeria. Broader CHAN scheduling issues saw Algeria, Egypt, and Tunisia withdraw entirely, citing league conflicts.
Fan and media reaction
Social media commentary described the exit as disgraceful and embarrassing. Allegations of selection bias appeared in fan discussions. Local media called for the return of home-grown coaches. Concern grew that the result might undermine Nigeria’s confidence ahead of World Cup qualifiers.
Limited chances to recover
Nigeria’s final group fixture against Congo, later declared a dead rubber following Congo’s disqualification, offered only an opportunity to restore some pride. Analysts suggested starting Yusuf and Adelani to address goal-scoring deficiencies.
Outlook beyond CHAN
The NFF now faces demands to improve tournament preparation, retain domestic talent, and reconsider coach appointments. Chelle’s next challenge will be the September World Cup qualifiers, where his tactical decisions will remain under scrutiny.
Conclusion
Nigeria’s CHAN 2025 campaign demonstrated how abrupt managerial changes, questionable player selection, and weak preparation can turn a promising squad into a tournament’s lowest performer. Without structural reforms, such outcomes may repeat.
