Again, Super Eagles B Gear Up for CHAN With Zanzibar Clash
Nigeria’s home-based senior men’s national team—the Super Eagles B—are set to take on Zanzibar on Thursday in the second of two friendly matches designed to sharpen their edge ahead of the 8th African Nations Championship (CHAN), kicking off Saturday.
The opening clash between the two sides ended in a goalless stalemate on Monday at Zanzibar’s Mau Stadium, despite Nigeria’s dominant performance.
The 2018 CHAN silver medallists and 2014 bronze winners-controlled possession, registered more attacking efforts, and created multiple scoring chances, but Zanzibar’s resilient defense kept the scoreline blank.
Adedayo Olamilekan, Hadi Haruna, Sikiru Alimi, and Harrison Tochukwu stood out, while goalkeeper Ozoemena Ani, captain Nduka Junior, Leonard Ngenge, Abdulrafiu Taiwo, Sodiq Ismaila, Ijoma Anthony, Harrison Ozondu, Akanni Qudus, Taofeek Otaniyi, Godwin Obaje, Jabbar Malik, and Shola Adelani also featured in Monday’s tie.
Thursday’s rematch at the Mau Stadium is more than a test—it’s a crucial tune-up just five days before Nigeria face defending champions Senegal in their Group D opener at the Amaan Stadium (capacity: 15,000), right in the heart of Zanzibar.
The Super Eagles B will continue group play with Sudan on Tuesday, 12 August, again at the Amaan Stadium, before rounding off the group phase against Congo at the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday, 19 August.
This year’s CHAN tournament features 19 nations competing across four weeks in five stadiums spread across East Africa: Moi International Sports Centre and Nyayo National Stadium (both in Nairobi, Kenya), Mandela National Stadium (Kampala, Uganda), Amaan Stadium (Zanzibar), and Benjamin Mkapa Stadium (Dar es Salaam, Tanzania). Notably, Groups A, B, and C host five teams each—while Group D, Nigeria’s group, contains just four.
