The Super Eagles B started their 2024 African Nations Championship journey with a 1-0 loss to the defending champions Senegal at Amman Stadium in Zanzibar on Tuesday night. Despite efforts from Eric Chelle’s team, they struggled to leave a significant mark in their Group D match held at the 15,000-seat arena. ADEBOYE AMOSU from com emphasizes the key aspects of the home-based Super Eagles’ performance in the match, noting that the attack was unimpressive and struggled to pose a threat. Head coach Eric Chelle deployed a two-man forward line featuring Anthony Ijoma from Abia Warriors and Sikiru Alimi from Remo Stars in the match against Senegal. The pair was unable to record even one shot on target while they played. Although expectations were high, neither Ijoma nor Alimi could significantly challenge the Senegalese defense. Alimi is considered one of the leading strikers in the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), and Ijoma had shown promise in pre-tournament matches, scoring against Remo Stars and Ojodu City. Mustapha’s performance in goal was also disappointing. Lawal Mustapha, the Shooting Stars goalkeeper, was selected to start due to a last-minute injury to the main goalkeeper, Ani Ozoemena. Although Mustapha had shown strong performances in the NPFL last season, he did not perform well in this match. He seemed anxious during the game, and his mistake resulted in the sole goal that Nigeria allowed. Meanwhile, Captain Nduka and Ngenege shone in the defense. Captain Junior Nduka, instrumental in Nigeria’s successful qualification for the tournament, demonstrated his leadership and defensive skills even though the team lost to Souleymane Diallo’s squad. Also Read: Can the Super Eagles B sustain their momentum by winning CHAN’24? His central defensive partner, Leonard Ngenege, delivered a strong performance, especially in the first half. Ngenege had to step up defensively given that left-back Abdularafiu Taiwo was having difficulty handling Senegal’s potent winger, Libasse Gueye. Senegal showcased superiority both physically and tactically. The reigning champions overpowered Chelle’s team in nearly all areas.
