Nigeria’s Super Eagles B assistant coach, Daniel Ogunmodede, has emphasized the importance of proper preparation as the team gears up for the 2024 African Nations Championship after a triumphant qualification.

The team secured their CHAN ticket with an impressive 3-1 aggregate victory over Ghana on Saturday at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo.

This marks Nigeria’s return to the tournament for the first time in six years.

Ghana had previously thwarted Nigeria’s CHAN ambitions in 2009 and 2023 during qualifiers and famously eliminated them in the 2014 semi-final in South Africa after a penalty shootout.

However, this time, the Super Eagles B team avenged those losses, ending their qualification drought.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Ogunmodede attributed their success to the thorough preparations they undertook before the qualifiers.

“We had early preparations for the qualifiers. We went through three phases of selecting and bringing players to camp, with the final phase starting four weeks ago at the Remo Stars facilities.

This level of preparation played a significant role in our victory over Ghana,” he said.

He stressed the need for a similar approach as they prepare for the main tournament in February.

“Hopefully, we will have the same level of preparation for the CHAN tournament,” Ogunmodede added.

The CHAN Eagles’ best performance remains a runner-up finish in 2018. However, since then, they have struggled to qualify until now.

With their return to the tournament, Ogunmodede and his team will aim to make history by finally lifting the trophy.

The 2024 CHAN tournament will be co-hosted by Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, from February 1 to 28. Meanwhile, Ghana’s elimination adds to their recent football woes, following their failure to qualify for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON.

As the countdown begins, the CHAN Eagles will need meticulous preparation to ensure a strong outing at the tournament.