By Daily Sports on January 18, 2016

Nigeria’s Home-based Super Eagles begin their quest for honours at the 4th edition of the African Nations Championship (CHAN), which began Saturday in Kigali, Rwanda.

The Eagles, who won bronze in their CHAN debut two years ago in South Africa, begin their campaign in Group C this evening in Kigali against fellow West Africans, the Mena of the Republic of Niger, at the 22,000-capacity Stade Régional Nyamirambo in Kigali. Guinea and 2011 champions Tunisia will have their first taste of action in the competition in the other group game. The Eagles will meet Tunisia on January 22 at the same venue and Guinea four days later at the 5,000-capacity Umuganda Stadium, in Gisenyi.

It is expected that the Eagles who are playing their first major championship under Coach Sunday Oliseh will rise up to the occasion and surpass the third place finish the team recorded under former coach Stephen Keshi in 2014.

Although the Eagles posted some impressive performances in test games played ahead of the championship, which saw them draw 1-1 draw with Angola before recording a 1-0 victory over their West African rivals, Cote d’Ivoire, they are expected to be more focused to enable Nigeria start the new year on a winning note.

While Nigeria has been tipped as one of the countries to qualify from Group C, it is important they avoid complacency to be able to overcome their group opponents, who are always at their best when they play Nigeria.

Super Eagles gaffer Oliseh, being aware of this development, has already sounded a warning to his players, reminding them that the game against Tunisia would be very tough considering the calibre of players the Carthage Eagles parade, coupled with the fact that the North African country operates one of the best leagues on the continent.

CHAN 2016 affords football fans across Africa and lovers of the African game elsewhere in the world the opportunity of watching the first major continental tournament this year. The biennial football championship which will be rounded off on February 7 is organised by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the men’s national teams of Africa, featuring exclusively players from their respective national leagues.

CHAN’s creation was a response to the desire to revive or strengthen national competitions regularly weakened by a mass exodus of top players to seek greener pastures in Europe and other continents of the world. Starting from the 2014 edition, all of the matches are recognised by FIFA as first team matches.

The first tournament was held in 2009 and was hosted by Côte d’Ivoire and won by The Democratic Republic of the Congo. The competition was expanded to 16 teams for the second tournament, held in Sudan in 2011 which was won by Tunisia in the wake of that country’s revolution.

This year’s championship is without current champions Libya, who failed to qualify for the competition. The first major tournament to be hosted by Rwanda, the 2016 CHAN is holding in the capital city of Kigali, as well as in Butare and Gisenyi.

Weekend Results

Rwanda 1-0 Côte d'Ivoire

Gabon 0-0 Morocco

DR Congo 3-0 Ethiopia

Cameroon 1-0 Angola

•Photo shows CHAN Eagles star Bature Yaro.

Source Daily Sports

Posted January 18, 2016

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