Nigeria’s African Nations Championship dream ended in brutal fashion on Tuesday, as Sudan swept aside the Super Eagles B team with a commanding 4-0 victory in their second Group D clash in Zanzibar.

Eric Chelle’s men, already reeling from a narrow 1-0 loss to Senegal in their opener, were overpowered by a Sudanese side that mixed strength with ruthless attacking precision. The result leaves Nigeria rooted to the bottom of the group, pointless with a minus-five goal difference and officially out of the tournament.

The warning signs were there early. After the first goal for Nigeria by Anthony Ijoma was ruled out for offside in the 22nd minute, Sudan pressed high, forcing mistakes in Nigeria’s defensive third, and in the 25th minute, disaster struck in comical-yet-costly fashion. Abdel Raouf Yagoub’s shot cannoned off the post, and in a desperate attempt to clear, Leonard Ngenge accidentally bundled the rebound past his own goalkeeper, Mustapha Lawal.

Things went from bad to worse just before halftime. Ngenge was penalised for a handball in the box, and Walieldin Khdir made no mistake from the spot, rifling into the top corner to give Sudan a 2-0 lead. Nigeria’s best chance of the half came in stoppage time, but Sikiru Alimi headed wide from close range.

Any hope of a second-half fightback evaporated within 10 minutes of the restart. Yagoub, a constant thorn in Nigeria’s defence, struck twice in quick succession, first slotting into the bottom corner from Musa Hussien’s cutback in the 55th minute, then smashing home from close range seven minutes later after being left unmarked.

From there, Sudan shut the game down with confidence. Nigeria’s late push produced little, though Raymond Tochukwu clipped the post, and Sudanese goalkeeper Mohamed Abooja comfortably dealt with the rest.

With four points from two games, Sudan now stands on the brink of the knockout stages. For Nigeria, the campaign ends at the group stage, a sobering fall for the 2018 finalists, undone by defensive lapses and a blunt attack that never truly found its rhythm.