Former Super Eagles striker, Brown Ideye, has weighed in on Nigeria’s shocking elimination from the 2024 African Nations Championship (CHAN), following a humiliating 4-0 defeat to Sudan’s Falcons on Tuesday.
The loss, which came after a 1-0 opening-day defeat to defending champions Senegal, sealed Nigeria’s fate in the tournament, sparking widespread criticism of head coach Eric Chelle.
While many have blamed the Malian tactician for the team’s poor outing, Ideye has defended him, insisting the problem runs deeper than coaching.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the former West Brom forward stated:
“Let’s keep lying to ourselves and keep blaming someone else every time we fail. We’re not good enough — that’s the bitter truth. It’s what you have the coach will work with, period. And we don’t have what it takes to compete on the bigger stage.”
Nigeria will face Congo in their final group match next Tuesday, but the game will be of little consequence to their CHAN campaign.