Super Eagles have crashed out of the 2016 African Nations Championship in Rwanda after losing 1-0 to Guinea on Tuesday at the Umugan...
Super Eagles have crashed out of the
2016 African Nations Championship in Rwanda after losing 1-0 to
Guinea on Tuesday at the Umuganda Stadium in Rubavu.
A lone goal from Ibrahima Sankhon
ensured the Eagles finished third in Group C with four points behind
Tunisia, who defeated Niger 5-0 in their last match, and Guinea. Tunisia and Guinea finished with five points each. Niger finished at the bottom of
the group with a point.
A single defensive error cost the Eagles
the match from which they needed just a draw to
qualify for the
quarterfinals. Guinea started the stronger side as they sought to score
an early goal but the Eagles defended resolutely.
The lone goal was scored in the 45th minute when Daouda
Camara crossed the ball to an unmarked Sankhon, who shot into an empty
net.
It would be recalled that the home-based Eagles under the tutelage of former coach, Stephen Keshi also finished third at the 2014 edition of the tournament in South Africa.
The defeat became Oliseh’s first
competitive loss as Nigeria coach. On Tuesday he apologised to Nigerians
and defended his players.
He said, “We apologise to Nigerians for
this loss; we never planned to exit the tournament this early. The boys
gave their best.”
Also the Nigeria Football Federation
President Amaju Pinnick apologised. He said the federation would now
shift focus to the qualification race for the 2017 Africa Cup of
Nations.
“We apologise to Nigerians for the poor
outing of the Super Eagles in Rwanda, but we toe the line of CAF which
states that CHAN is a developmental and preparatory competition. Of
course, as Nigerians, we love to win always, and we feel bad when we
don’t.
“I want us to take the positives from
this tournament. A player like Chisom Chikatara broke onto the global
platform and players like Usman Mohammed, Chima Akas, Ikechukwu Ezenwa,
Austin Oboroakpo and Ifeanyi Mathew confirmed their class,” Pinnick
said.
