{"id":866621,"date":"2025-08-20T23:11:53","date_gmt":"2025-08-21T04:11:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/20\/super-eagles-b-finally-deliver-six-takeaways-from-nigerias-face-saving-win-over-congo-at-chan-2024\/"},"modified":"2025-08-20T23:11:53","modified_gmt":"2025-08-21T04:11:53","slug":"super-eagles-b-finally-deliver-six-takeaways-from-nigerias-face-saving-win-over-congo-at-chan-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2025\/08\/20\/super-eagles-b-finally-deliver-six-takeaways-from-nigerias-face-saving-win-over-congo-at-chan-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Super Eagles B finally deliver \u2013 Six takeaways from Nigeria\u2019s face-saving win over Congo at CHAN 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

Soccer <\/p>\n

\n

For Nigeria\u2019s home-based Super Eagles, the African Nations Championship<\/a> (CHAN) was already over before it really began, Soccernet.ng reports<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Two bruising defeats, a narrow 1-0 loss to defending champions Senegal and a humiliating 4-0 collapse to Sudan, had condemned Eric Chelle<\/a>\u2019s men to an early exit.<\/p>\n

But football has a funny way of handing out second chances, even if only for pride.<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
Ijoma Anthony of Nigeria Super Eagles. Photo Credit: NFF Comms<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On their final outing in Dar es Salaam, the Super Eagles B finally came alive, seeing off Congo 2-0 to avoid<\/a> the shame of leaving Tanzania empty-handed. It was a night of relief, redemption, and a few reasons for optimism.<\/p>\n

Here are the six key takeaways from Nigeria\u2019s victory.<\/p>\n

Soccer 1. Nigeria leave CHAN with pride intact<\/h2>\n

Going home early is never easy, especially for a football nation as demanding as Nigeria<\/a>. Yet a single win can change the tone of a campaign.<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
Nigeria Super Eagles B. Copyright: Super Eagles\/X<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By beating Congo, Nigeria not only climbed off the bottom of Group D but also ensured their exit wasn\u2019t wrapped in total embarrassment. Ending with three points is hardly glorious, but at least it\u2019s respectable. Sometimes, dignity is a victory of its own.<\/p>\n

Soccer 2. Sikiru Alimi finally delivers<\/h2>\n

If there\u2019s one player who needed a big performance, it was Sikiru Alimi<\/a>. The experienced striker had been criticised for looking anonymous in Nigeria\u2019s opening two games.<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
CHAN Eagles stars Sikiru Alimi and Ismaila Sodiq. Copyright: CAF\/X<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Against Congo, though, the Remo Stars<\/a> man was decisive: first providing the assist for Yusuf\u2019s opener and later powering home a stooping header to kill the contest. Alimi reminded everyone why he remains one of the NPFL\u2019s most reliable forwards. For him, this was a night of personal redemption.<\/p>\n

Soccer 3. A Super Eagles goal at last and a record avoided<\/h2>\n

Nigeria\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
CHAN 2024: Nigeria Super Eagles B. Photo Credit: NFF TV<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Another game without scoring would have made them the first Nigerian senior men\u2019s side this century to exit a tournament without finding the net. Thankfully, Yusuf\u2019s sharp finish consigned that unwanted record to history.<\/p>\n

Soccer 4. Ebenezer Harcourt, a rising star in goal<\/h2>\n

Perhaps the biggest positive from Nigeria\u2019s short-lived CHAN adventure is the emergence of 15-year-old goalkeeper Ebenezer Harcourt.<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
Nigeria Flying Eagles goalkeeper Ebenezer Ifeanyi Harcourt. Photo Credit: WAFU B\/X<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Commanding his box, organising his backline, and pulling off crucial stops, he secured Nigeria\u2019s only clean sheet of the tournament.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Soccer 5. Anas Yusuf confirms his promise<\/h2>\n

Last season\u2019s NPFL<\/a> top scorer with 18 goals, Anas Yusuf came into CHAN with high expectations.<\/p>\n

After starting the first two matches on the bench, the Nasarawa United forward finally got his chance against Congo and he seized it.<\/p>\n

His poacher\u2019s instinct, reacting fastest to Alimi\u2019s knockdown, was exactly what Nigeria had been missing. Yusuf showed Chelle he should have been trusted more at this tournament.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Soccer 6. A win is still a win<\/h2>\n

In the grand scheme of things, Nigeria\u2019s 2-0 win won\u2019t be remembered as a landmark triumph. It didn\u2019t qualify them for the next round, nor erase the pain of earlier defeats.<\/p>\n

\"Soccer
Eric Chelle, coach of Nigeria during the 2024 African Nations Championship, CHAN 2024, in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Photo Credit: NFF Comms<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Football is about results, and a win in the final group game beats flying home pointless.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Read More<\/a>Imhonlamhen Eronmhonsele<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Soccer For Nigeria\u2019s 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\u2019s men to an early exit. But football has a funny way of handing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":866622,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3577,2005,4578],"tags":[7956,6323],"class_list":{"0":"post-866621","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-eagles","8":"category-soccer","9":"category-super","10":"tag-eagles","11":"tag-super"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866621","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=866621"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866621\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/866622"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=866621"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=866621"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=866621"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}