Brown Ideye, former Super Eagles striker and 2013 AFCON winner, has openly criticized Nigeria’s home-based national team after their disappointing campaign at the 8th African Nations Championship (CHAN).
Nigeria’s Eagles B suffered a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Sudan on Tuesday in Zanzibar, a performance that left fans stunned and effectively ended their hopes of progressing. The team looked disorganized and flat for the entire 90 minutes, struggling to create meaningful chances while conceding cheaply.
The Sudan result came on the back of a 1-0 loss to defending champions Senegal just a week earlier. Those back-to-back defeats meant that, regardless of the outcome of their final Group D fixture against Congo in Dar es Salaam next Tuesday, the Nigerians would be heading home early.
This latest setback equals the country’s heaviest defeat in CHAN history, matching the 4-0 loss to Morocco in the 2018 final. For Ideye, the pattern is no longer about bad luck or officiating—it’s about quality.
> “Let’s stop deceiving ourselves and pointing fingers whenever we fail,” Ideye said bluntly. “We are simply not good enough. The coach can only work with the players available, and right now, we don’t have the calibre needed to compete on the bigger stage. That’s the bitter truth.”
The CHAN competition, designed exclusively for players plying their trade in their domestic leagues, has often been viewed as a test of local football strength. Nigeria’s poor showing in Zanzibar, however, has again raised questions about the NPFL’s ability to produce players ready for international competition.
While some fans have blamed coaching tactics and preparation, Ideye’s comments suggest that the issue runs deeper, pointing to structural problems within Nigerian football and a talent pool that struggles to match up against Africa’s best.
For now, the Eagles B will finish their campaign with a dead-rubber match against Congo, but the focus has already shifted to what needs to change if Nigeria is to become competitive in future editions of the tournament.
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