Nigeria’s home-based Super Eagles finally found their scoring touch and secured a long-awaited victory at the African Nations Championship (CHAN), defeating Congo 2-0 on Tuesday night.
Second-half goals from Anas Yusuf and Sikiru Alimi ended a miserable run of three winless matches stretching back seven years, during which Nigeria also endured a prolonged goal drought.
Yusuf’s breakthrough in the 56th minute was Nigeria’s first CHAN goal since their 1-0 win over Sudan in Marrakech on 31 January 2018—ending a barren spell that lasted 400 minutes of tournament football. The moment came after Alimi rose highest to nod down a cross, setting up Yusuf for a composed close-range finish.
Alimi later turned scorer himself, striking deep into stoppage time to seal the result and leave Congo stunned. The Central Africans, who needed victory to keep their quarter-final hopes alive, finished bottom of the group and exited the competition in disappointment.
For Nigeria, the win came too late to alter their fate after back-to-back defeats to Senegal and Sudan had already confirmed elimination. Yet the result allowed coach Eric Sekou Chelle’s side to bow out with pride partly restored, even as deeper questions remain about the team’s preparation, squad depth, and execution at this level.
