Former Super Eagles international, Sam Sodje, has slammed the Nigeria Football Federation, NFF for poorly preparing the CHAN Eagles ahead of their crucial qualifiers against arch-rivals Ghana.

The CHAN Eagles have been playing a series of friendly matches against local teams to gear up for the two-legged encounter, including a 2-1 victory over NPFL front-runners Remo Stars on Wednesday evening.

In contrast, Ghana’s Black Galaxies have been sparring with high-profile international sides like Togo in preparation for the same qualifiers.

In an interview with Brila.net, Sodje expressed his dissatisfaction with the NFF’s approach, calling it inadequate for the level of competition the CHAN Eagles are about to face.

“They cannot prepare the way they are preparing and expect results,” Sodje said. “If you’re preparing by playing local teams and expect to perform in international games, it means we don’t know what we’re doing.

“It’s a no-brainer. The preparation in Nigeria is always zero percent, and we are still not learning.

You have to give the team big games to blend and compete at a high level. There is no reason why the NFF cannot do it.”

Sodje didn’t hold back in criticizing the NFF’s overall management of football in the country, stating,

“The NFF should know they are way behind in the way football is run around the world.”

The CHAN Eagles will be looking to redeem themselves after failing to qualify for the 2023 edition of the tournament, where they were eliminated by Ghana.

The first leg of the clash against Ghana’s Black Galaxies is set to take place in Accra on Sunday, December 22, with the return leg scheduled for Uyo on Saturday, December 28.