Super Eagles’ technical adviser, Eric Chelle is taking stock of his B-squad’s huge defeat by Sudan at the Championship of African Nations (CHAN 2024) and submitted that four costly mistakes ruined Nigeria’s home-based national team.
With corporate support by Showtime, a leading brand in the development of football, Sports247 reports that Chelle was left shell shocked after the CHAN Eagles let in four goals against Sudan and Nigeria went crashing out of the championship with a group game still left to play.
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Speaking with a very sad and husky voice, the Franco-Malian tactician took consolation in how his side started well and even got the ball in the back of the Sudanese net, only to be denied a goal by VAR, and they fell apart from that point.
Chelle recounted, “For the first 20 minutes, we played with focus and we scored a goal that was ruled out. After that, we could not prevent our mistakes, which continued in the second half.”
He conceded that Sudan is now being rated by all analysts as the better side on the evening in Zanzibar, only because his players could not stay in control of the game and they eventually fell apart like a pack of cards.
The former Mali national team and SC Oran of Algeria gaffer noted, “It can be analysed in their favour, because it was our fault. It was not the best game we played, because we made four mistakes.”
Chelle concluded with a pass mark for himself and members of his technical crew, insisting they did all that needed to be done in preparing the players for Tuesday’s game, but they never expected to be undone by four crucial errors.
He pointed out, “Essentially, we prepared for the game. We analysed the Sudanese team, and we tried to do well.
“The reality is that we prepared well, but we were not ready for the mistakes. Football is like that; but we can’t play well and give away four goals.”
Chelle will now prepare the CHAN Eagles for a mere formality last group game versus Congo on Tuesday, with the only aim of getting a consolation win that would see them finish third on the final table.
That would be a spoiler to Congo’s hope of reaching the second round, as they currently have two points and could move up to five if they beat Nigeria, then qualify ahead of either Senegal or Sudan, who both have four points heading into their clash on the last day in Group D.
