For Nigeria’s home-based Super Eagles, the African Nations Championship (CHAN) was already over before it really began, Soccernet.ng reports.
Two bruising defeats, a narrow 1-0 loss to defending champions Senegal and a humiliating 4-0 collapse to Sudan, had condemned Eric Chelle’s men to an early exit.
But football has a funny way of handing out second chances, even if only for pride.
On their final outing in Dar es Salaam, the Super Eagles B finally came alive, seeing off Congo 2-0 to avoid the shame of leaving Tanzania empty-handed. It was a night of relief, redemption, and a few reasons for optimism.
Here are the six key takeaways from Nigeria’s victory.
1. Nigeria leave CHAN with pride intact
Going home early is never easy, especially for a football nation as demanding as Nigeria. Yet a single win can change the tone of a campaign.
By beating Congo, Nigeria not only climbed off the bottom of Group D but also ensured their exit wasn’t wrapped in total embarrassment. Ending with three points is hardly glorious, but at least it’s respectable. Sometimes, dignity is a victory of its own.
2. Sikiru Alimi finally delivers
If there’s one player who needed a big performance, it was Sikiru Alimi. The experienced striker had been criticised for looking anonymous in Nigeria’s opening two games.
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Against Congo, though, the Remo Stars man was decisive: first providing the assist for Yusuf’s opener and later powering home a stooping header to kill the contest. Alimi reminded everyone why he remains one of the NPFL’s most reliable forwards. For him, this was a night of personal redemption.
3. A Super Eagles goal at last and a record avoided
Nigeria’s first two matches were not only defeats; they were goalless blanks. By the time Yusuf tucked away his close-range strike in the 56th minute, Nigeria had gone 237 minutes at CHAN 2024 without a goal.
Another game without scoring would have made them the first Nigerian senior men’s side this century to exit a tournament without finding the net. Thankfully, Yusuf’s sharp finish consigned that unwanted record to history.
4. Ebenezer Harcourt, a rising star in goal
Perhaps the biggest positive from Nigeria’s short-lived CHAN adventure is the emergence of 15-year-old goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt.
Preferred ahead of Mustapha Lawal, who shipped five goals in two outings, Harcourt made his Super Eagles debut and displayed maturity well beyond his years.
Commanding his box, organising his backline, and pulling off crucial stops, he secured Nigeria’s only clean sheet of the tournament.
Already a standout at the U20 AFCON and the WAFU B U20 tournament, Harcourt looks like a long-term solution between the sticks. Remember the name.
5. Anas Yusuf confirms his promise
Last season’s NPFL top scorer with 18 goals, Anas Yusuf came into CHAN with high expectations.
After starting the first two matches on the bench, the Nasarawa United forward finally got his chance against Congo and he seized it.
His poacher’s instinct, reacting fastest to Alimi’s knockdown, was exactly what Nigeria had been missing. Yusuf showed Chelle he should have been trusted more at this tournament.
6. A win is still a win
In the grand scheme of things, Nigeria’s 2-0 win won’t be remembered as a landmark triumph. It didn’t qualify them for the next round, nor erase the pain of earlier defeats.
But it did end the campaign on a positive note, lifted spirits in the camp, and offered a platform to build on. For a team made up of home-based players striving to prove their worth, that matters.
Football is about results, and a win in the final group game beats flying home pointless.
