With the final 24-man squad for the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN) set to be unveiled in the coming hours, Monday’s performance offered head coach Eric Chelle (CHAN Eagles) a welcome mix of promise and competition as he fine-tunes his selection.
Nigeria’s home-based Super Eagles, popularly known as the CHAN Eagles, continued their flawless build-up to the continental tournament with a 3-1 comeback victory over Ikorodu City FC at the Remo Stars Stadium in Ikenne.
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Despite a sluggish start that saw them concede within the opening five minutes, the Eagles showed character and tactical discipline to turn the tie around in convincing fashion.
Ikorodu City capitalized on early defensive uncertainty to take a shock lead, but their advantage was short-lived. Just four minutes later, defender Junior Nduka brought the CHAN Eagles level with a superbly curled free-kick following a smart assist from Haruna Hadi.
The equalizer calmed nerves and restored structure to Nigeria’s game. The first half ended 1-1, with both sides displaying moments of attacking flair and compact defending.
In the 66th minute, Anthony Ijoma completed a slick team move that began with goalkeeper Ani Ozoemena and featured clever link-up play involving Sikiru Alimi and Michael Tochukwu, finishing with a composed strike to hand Nigeria the lead.
Twelve minutes later, Ijoma turned provider, delivering a precise pass that Alimi converted with aplomb to secure the Eagles’ third goal and put the result beyond doubt.
The win extends Nigeria’s unbeaten streak in their CHAN 2024 warm-up matches, following earlier victories over Remo Stars and Ojodu City. In total, the squad has netted six goals and conceded only once across the three games under Chelle’s stewardship.
Next up for the CHAN Eagles is a high-profile friendly against Rwandan champions APR FC in Kigali on July 29. The team will then travel to Zanzibar for the final leg of preparations ahead of the tournament.
The 2024 African Nations Championship officially kicks off on August 2, with East African nations Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda co-hosting the event.
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