Nasarawa United defender Victor Collins has emphasized that the CHAN Eagles’ primary goal is to secure qualification for the 2025 African Nations Championship, CHAN as they intensify preparations for their crucial showdown with Ghana’s Black Galaxies.

The Super Eagles B squad is determined to overcome painful memories from previous encounters with their West African rivals.

In the inaugural qualifiers in 2009, Nigeria suffered a second-half collapse against Ghana, while in the last edition’s qualifiers, Ghana advanced on penalties after a 2-2 aggregate draw.

Speaking to Brila.net, Collins described the upcoming fixtures as a must-win, highlighting the importance of ending Nigeria’s absence from the tournament since 2018.

“The most important thing we’re focusing on is the qualification of the team because it is very important.

Since 2018, we’ve missed two editions of the tournament, and we don’t want to be in that situation again. We just want to qualify,” he said.

Collins also reflected on the team’s recent friendly match, a 1-0 victory against Grassrunners FC.

He acknowledged the opposition’s spirited performance, noting that it’s typical for teams to step up their game against the national side.

“The match we played was very good. The boys we played against were fantastic. You know when you’re playing against the national team, you want to prove a point,” Collins added.

The first leg of the qualifiers is set to take place on Sunday, December 22, at the Accra Sports Stadium, with the return leg scheduled for Saturday, December 28, at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo.

The CHAN Eagles are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to return to the continental competition.