Tunde Disu, the seasoned Nigerian manager and coach of the renowned Daman Miracle Flying Eagles, has defended the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL) following the shocking early exit of the Super Eagles Team B at the ongoing African Nations Championship (CHAN). The 2025 edition of CHAN is being hosted across Uganda,s Tanzania, and Kenya.
Nigeria’s campaign came to a premature end on Tuesday after a crushing 4-0 defeat to Sudan in Zanzibar. The loss, following a narrow 1-0 defeat to defending champions Senegal a week earlier, ensured that the Super Eagles B were already out of the tournament, regardless of their final Group D clash against Congo in Dar es Salaam.
The 4-0 scoreline equaled Nigeria’s worst defeat in the 26-year history of the competition, matching the loss to hosts Morocco in the 2018 CHAN final.
The team’s elimination has sparked criticism of the domestic league, with many questioning whether the NPFL is capable of producing CHAN-ready talent. Disu, however, dismissed such claims in a conversation with Daily Independent, arguing that the league itself should not bear the blame.
“I don’t think the league is to blame for that result,” Disu said. “When I heard about the outcome, I was upset because it shouldn’t be so. However, our league is one of the best and toughest in Africa, so it is not about it.”
The veteran coach pointed instead to issues around player selection and team preparation. “I don’t know how they prepared, but it has a lot to do with their preparations how many months were they in camp together? This is a championship of home-based players, and that is very important. Also, in a competition like this, the task should be given to a coach whose team is top in the league and who understands the players,” he explained.
Disu added, “No matter how bad a league is, we can still have good players, but the question is: how were they selected? These are very important. I don’t want to blame anyone, but the whole process should be examined the preparations, selections, approach, motivation, and technical inputs in the team. To me, there is a fundamental problem beyond the league itself, and it deserves a thorough review.”
As Nigeria reflects on this disappointing CHAN campaign, voices like Disu’s serve as a reminder that domestic football remains a solid foundation what is equally crucial is strategy, preparation, and the process behind team assembly.
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