Nigeria will on Tuesday, August 5, begin another serious quest for a continental title when the home-based senior men's team, Super Eagles B take on Cup holders Senegal in the opening match of group D of the 8th African Nations Championship.

Bronze medal-winners in 2014 and runners-up four years later, Nigeria have blown hot and cold in the 16-year-old tournament that is exclusively reserved for footballers plying their trade with valid contracts in the domestic league of their countries on the continent.

Ahead of the inaugural edition hosted by Cote d'Ivoire in 2009 and won by the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Eagles squandered a two-goal lead over arch-rivals Ghana in Accra to end up losing 2-3, and then failed to find the back of the net in the return encounter in Calabar. Ghana qualified instead.

Two years later, Nigeria also failed to reach the finals in Sudan. In 2014, Stephen Keshi (of blessed memory) coached the Eagles to a bronze medal finish in South Africa, overturning a 3-0 deficit at half-time against Morocco.

Nigeria failed to make it out of the group stage in Rwanda in 2016, but then went all the way to the Final in the following edition, losing to hosts Morocco on a frosty night in Casablanca.

Super Eagles B then failed to qualify for the next two editions hosted by Cameroon in 2021 and Algeria two years ago.