Nigeria Finish Third in Group D After Beating Congo

Nigeria’s home-based Super Eagles wrapped up their African Nations Championship (CHAN) campaign with a 2-0 victory against Congo, but the result was not enough to rescue their tournament hopes, Sport360NG reports.

After back-to-back defeats to Sudan and Senegal had already sealed their elimination, Eric Chelle’s men went into their final Group D clash in Dar es Salaam playing only for pride. They delivered their best performance of the competition, with second-half goals from Anas Yusuf and Sikiru Alimi ensuring they avoided a winless exit.

Nigeria made a lively start, nearly scoring in the opening minute when Yusuf blazed over after breaking into space. Taiwo Abdulrafiu’s pace down the right flank kept Congo’s defence unsettled, while Junior Nduka came close with a powerful header that drew a sharp save from goalkeeper Mouanda Makoso. The first half, however, ended goalless after a stop-start passage littered with fouls.

The breakthrough arrived 11 minutes after the restart. Abdulrafiu once again burst clear on the wing and delivered a dangerous cross. Alimi nodded the ball down into Yusuf’s path, and the midfielder calmly slotted into the bottom corner to give Nigeria their first goal of the tournament.

The opener sparked confidence in Chelle’s side, who began to dominate possession. Congo, chasing a two-goal margin to keep slim qualification hopes alive, pushed men forward but rarely threatened. Their challenge unravelled completely in stoppage time when Charles Atipo was sent off for a reckless tackle on Nduka after a VAR review.

From the ensuing free-kick, Sodiq Ismail’s precise delivery found Alimi, who powered in a close-range header to seal the victory.

Nigeria finished third in Group D with three points, while Sudan and Senegal advanced to the knockout stage after playing out a goalless draw in the other fixture. Congo ended bottom of the table without a point.

For Chelle, the late win provided a silver lining to an otherwise disappointing campaign, with his NPFL-based squad now set to return to their clubs ahead of the new domestic season. The coach will quickly turn his attention back to the senior national team, who resume 2026 World Cup qualifiers in September against Rwanda and South Africa.