Despite a bright start where Nigeria had a goal disallowed for offside in the 22nd minute, the momentum quickly swung in Sudan's favor. Just three minutes later, Sudan took the lead through an unfortunate own goal by Nigerian defender Leonard Ngenge. Things went from bad to worse for Nigeria just before halftime when Ngenge was penalized for a handball in the box, and Sudan's captain Walieldin Khidir converted the resulting penalty to make it 2-0.
The second half brought no relief for Nigeria. Sudan's star player, Abdel Raouf Yagoub, took control of the game, scoring a brace with goals in the 55th and 62nd minutes to seal a dominant 4-0 victory. The defeat marks the second consecutive loss for Nigeria in the tournament, following their 1-0 opening defeat to Senegal.
With zero points from two games and a goal difference of -5, Nigeria is now mathematically out of contention for a spot in the knockout stages. Sudan, on the other hand, climbed to the top of Group D with four points, tied with Senegal, who drew 1-1 with Congo in their match.
The defeat has drawn sharp criticism from fans and pundits, with many questioning the team's tactics and the overall quality of the squad. Nigeria will now face Congo in their final group match, a game that will serve only to restore some pride.