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The Super Eagles B are set to play the Zanzibar national team today in their second and final friendly match ahead of the 2024 CHAN tournament, which kicks off on Saturday in Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya.
The two teams previously played on Monday at the Mao Zedong Stadium, ending in a goalless draw. Under the leadership of national team coach Eric Chelle, the Super Eagles B were the dominant side in the first match but failed to break through the opponent’s defense.
Nigeria, having been runners-up in 2018, is in Group D of the 19-team tournament alongside defending champions Senegal, Sudan, and Congo.
Head coach Chelle commented on the team’s training after arriving in East Africa, expressing confidence that facing the Zanzibar team is beneficial for their tournament preparations.
“Our preparations began two weeks ago in Ikenne, where we focused on physical, tactical, and technical training. We’ve continued our work here in Zanzibar, which has been ideal for us.
I see a solid team with talented players, making this a suitable lead-up to the CHAN,” Chelle stated. Nigeria has yet to win this tournament, previously finishing third in South Africa in 2014 and losing to Morocco in the finals four years later.
However, Chelle is not making bold predictions. “Our goal is to take each game as it comes, and we will assess our situation after that.”
Chelle is at the helm as Nigeria returns to the tournament after missing the last edition, having qualified by overcoming long-time rivals Ghana with a 3–1 aggregate score.
The Super Eagles B will start the competition with matches against Senegal and Sudan at Amman Stadium in Zanzibar before facing Congo at Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam.
