How Home Eagles Toyed with 2020 CHAN Ticket in Togo
Lost 4-1 on Sunday
Ticket for 2020 African Nations Championship, known as the Total African Nations Championship is now dicey for Nigeria after the showdown between Togo and Nigeria on Sunday.
The home-based Super Eagles on Sunday had slipped off their lead in the showdown which ended 4-1, and consequently lost the chance to seal the the ticket for the biennial championship in the away duel.
Last season NPFL joint top scorer Sunusi Ibrahim gave Nigeria the lead after just eight minutes, before the home team drew level on 16 minutes through Richard Nane. Nane got his brace in the 70th minute.
The home team increased their lead from the penalty spot to 3-1 and then made it even more difficult for Nigeria by adding a fourth goal in the closing moments of the contest.
The CHAN Eagles were made up in the main by the country’s U23s with a sprinkling of experienced campaigners like captain Mfon Udoh, goalkeeper Theophilus Afelokhai and striker Sikiru Alimi.
Ndifreke Effiong was booked, so too right back John Lazarus who along with leftback Ebube Duru struggled to cope with the pace of the game.
The CHAN Eagles, who reached the 2018 CHAN final in Morocco, will now need to win the return leg in Nigeria next month by at least three un-replied goals to go through to Cameroon 2020.
The next year’s African Nations Championship, known as the Total African Nations Championship will be the 6th edition of the African Nations Championship, and biennial football tournament organized by the Confederation of African Football will exclusively feature players from the respective national championships.
CHAN Eagles starting XI vs Togo
Theophilus Afelokhai – Ebube Duru, John Lazarus, Olisa Ndah, Dennis Nya – Fatai Gbadamosi, Ndifreke Effiong, Samuel Matthias – Mfon Udoh (captain) (Chisom Orji), Sikiru Alimi, Sunusi Ibrahim.
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