The Super Eagles of Nigeria kicked off their CHAN 2024 campaign against Senegal at the Amaan Stadium in Zanzibar, Soccernet.ng reports.
Eric Chelle‘s home-based starting selection included a host of Remo Stars players, but the game was marred by fouls and never really got going as chances were few and far between.
An error from Leonard Ngenge saw Senegal’s Christian Gomis tap into an empty goal after the ball was laid into his path.
Soccernet.ng rates the performance of the Nigerian players as they secured three points against the Teranga Lions.
Get Our Sports News First – Join Our WhatsApp Channel Now!
1. Mustapha Lawal 6.1/10: The Shooting Stars goalkeeper didn’t have much to do in goal, but his decision to come off his line after Ngenge’s mistake made Senegal’s goal easier as Gomis tapped into an empty net.
2. Sodiq Ismaila 6.3/10: The Remo Stars full-back was mostly caught in two minds regarding his positioning. He struggled between staying put at the back and joining up with the attack.
3. Nduka Junior 6.5/10: The Remo Stars defender had a fair shift in the centre of the Nigerian defence. He covered his ground well, timed his aerial clearances and blocked several shots that could’ve caused the Senegalese to score more than one goal.
4. Leonard Ngenge 6.5/10: The Ikorodu City defender was tidy on the ball. Bar his error, which led to Senegal’s opening goal, he had a decent outing.
5. Taiwo Abdulrafiu 5.9/10: The Rivers United full-back did not have a good game. He was constantly beaten by the Senegalese forwards, but thankfully, none of those chances led to a goal.
6. Raymond Tochukwu 6.3/10: The Remo Stars midfielder had a decent first half, but the second half was a little less so. Because he’d already collected a yellow card, he had to be more cautious.
7. Olamilekan Adedayo 6.2/10: The Remo Stars midfielder played in a less familiar role as he’s used to playing further up the pitch.
He was paired in a pivot with Tochukwu, and he never really got going.
8. Malik Jabbar 6.8/10: The Remo Stars winger was arguably Nigeria’s best player on the pitch. He made his presence felt on the left flank, forcing the Senegalese full-back to stay put as he kept attacking the space.
His effort tonight cannot be faulted. He made way for Shola Adelani in the 81st minute.
9. Qudus Akanni 6/10: The 22-year-old was another Remo Stars midfielder who looked lost on the pitch tonight.
He could barely string a series of passes together, and he was withdrawn with ten minutes left on the clock.
10. Anthony Ijoma 6/10: The Abia Warriors striker didn’t have much to feed off in attack and was left fighting for scraps up front alongside Alimi. He made way for Godwin Obaje with four minutes left on the clock.
11. Sikiru Alimi 6.3/10: The Remo Stars forward fed off scraps like his attacking partner. He mustered just one shot on target in his 91 minutes on the pitch.
Substitutes
Austin Harrison 5.5/10: The Ikorodu City defender Taiwo Abdulrafiu in the 62nd minute, but he didn’t have an impact on the game. A reckless challenge saw him go into the referee’s book, and he went quiet from there.
Vincent Temitope 6.1/10: The Plateau United midfielder replaced Qudus Akanni in the 80th minute, but the in-game pressure didn’t allow him to have a foothold in the middle of the park.
Shola Adelani: The Ikorodu City midfielder came on with ten minutes left on the clock but didn’t muster anything tangible
Godwin Obaje and Anas Yusuf came on with three minutes left on the clock, but didn’t have enough time to be involved in anything notable.