Nigeria Super Eagles B are a few hours away from their opening game against defending champions Senegal at Amaan stadium in Zanzibar.
In Nigeria’s last appearance in 2018 before this year’s event in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, the Eagles were the losing finalists to hosts Morocco in a one-sided encounter in Casablanca. Overall, it is the 8th edition of the tournament.
Nigeria’s performances in the 16-year-old tournament—reserved solely for players actively competing under valid contracts in their respective domestic leagues across Africa—have been inconsistent over the years.
During the qualifiers for the inaugural edition held in Côte d’Ivoire in 2009—eventually won by DR Congo—the Eagles let a two-goal advantage slip against bitter rivals Ghana in Accra, ultimately falling 3-2. A goalless draw in the return leg in Calabar sealed their fate, allowing Ghana to book their place at the tournament instead. It was the same outcome in the second edition, as they failed to qualify for the tournament two years later.
In 2014, the late Stephen Keshi guided the home-based Super Eagles to a bronze medal at the tournament in South Africa, famously orchestrating a stunning comeback from 3-0 down at half-time to defeat Morocco. The feat came just a year after Keshi had led the senior national team to Africa Cup of Nations glory on the same South African soil.
However, Nigeria could not repeat the feat two years later as they failed to make it out of the group in Rwanda. But they reached the final in Morocco 2018, where they lost to the hosts. So, this is the fourth appearance in the competition for the West African giants, who have missed the previous two editions in Cameroon and Algeria, respectively.
Nigeria is led by Franco-Malian Eric Sekou Chelle, also the gaffer for the ‘A’ team. It is his first major tournament for Nigeria, so he will be looking to make a mark with a squad filled with debutants.
Chelle’s 23-man squad, who spent three weeks at a training camp in Ikenne-Remo and another 10 days in Zanzibar (to which was embedded two drawn matches against the Zanzibar National Team), have a point to prove, and only a deep run in the tournament can do that.
On Tuesday at the 15,000-seater Amaan Stadium, Chelle will be aiming for a full three points—not only to reinforce Nigeria’s title aspirations but also to ease pressure before tougher encounters against Sudan and Congo.
