“If we play like this vs Congo, it will be more than four” – Eric Chelle warns Super Eagles B players after Sudan thrashing

Nigeria’s head coach, Eric Chelle, has issued a strong warning to his players ahead of their final group game at the African Nations Championship (CHAN) after a crushing 4-0 loss to Sudan.

The heavy defeat at Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar was Nigeria’s second straight loss, ending their hopes of progressing in the tournament. Chelle described it as the worst match of his coaching career.

“We have lost all ambition. The CHAN is over for us. We have a third match to play for our honour and respect. But I am disappointed by this match. It is the worst game I’ve overseen from the dugout as a coach,” he said.

Chelle admitted the result was made worse by the loss of several key domestic players who moved abroad before the competition. He stressed that Nigeria must improve or risk another humiliating scoreline against Congo.

“If we play this way against Congo, it wouldn’t be just four. We have to clear our minds and mentally get ready for Congo,” he warned.

The coach blamed four costly errors for Sudan’s four goals despite what he described as good preparation. “Though some important players left our preparations camp, these were the best players in our league. We can’t play a game like that and lose in the manner we did. We need to be more focused. The players focused in the first 20 minutes. Our goal was ruled out, and afterwards, we made a lot of mistakes… four mistakes, four goals. Our training session before the game went well. We analysed Sudan’s team. We prepared well but were not ready for as many mistakes,” he added.

While Sudan now look forward to a top-of-the-table clash with Senegal, Nigeria’s final match will be about salvaging pride.