The Super Eagles of Nigeria claimed a 4-1 victory of Gabon in extra time in the semifinal of the CAF World Cup playoffs.
It was a thrilling game at the Prince Moulay Hassan Staidum in Rabat. After a goalless first half, the games started pouring in.
Nigeria scored first, courtesy of Akor Adams, but Gabon scored an equalizer, courtesy of Mario Lemina in stoppage time, thereby forcing extra time.
That was when the Super Eagles demolished them. A brace from Victor Osimhen and one from Chidera Ejuke sealed the deal in extra time.
Soccernet.ng rates the performances of the players who did the job for Nigeria.
Super Eagles Player Ratings
Stanley Nwabali 6.8/10: Nwabali had a really good game, bar the goal he conceded, which was due to a deflection. He looked very confident in goal, and had a great command of his area. However, he occasionally delayed with releasing the ball, even when the Super Eagles were searching for a goal.
Benjamin Fredrick 8.5/10: The Dender man was Nigeria’s best player on the pitch. He hardly put a foot wrong, he marked really well, and was great in 1v1 situations. He also assisted the third goal for Nigeria. It was yet another impressive game for the young Super Eagles striker.
Calvin Bassey 6.9: The Fulham man had another solid game for the Super Eagles. He was convincing at the back and hardly put a foot wrong, he also added his efforts to the attack.
Zaidu Sanusi 6.8/10: Sanusi had a very good showing from left-back. He was sharp, worked hard, marked really well, and added a lot of effort in the final third.
Bright Osayi-Samuel 6.7/10: The Birmingham City man had a solid game at right back. His marking was solid, and he also pushed forward a few times to help the attack. Denis Bouanga was full of running, but Osayi-Samuel combined well with Fredrick to stop him.
Alex Iwobi 6.5/10: Iwobi was just decent for Nigeria. There were periods in the game when he failed to combine well with Ndidi or the space between them was too much. Tactically, he was not expected to be a creator, but to dictate the play, and he struggled with that task.
Credit to him though, he made some brilliant line-breaking passes that got Nigeria on the front foot.
Wilfred Ndidi 7.5/10: Ndidi showed his quality as one of Nigeria’s best legs. He got yellow-carded early on for a tactical foul, and there were fears that he would not last the entire game. But he showed class, running the midfield and even got an assist for Ejuke’s goal. Very good game for him.
Ademola Lookman 6.7: It was yet another tough day for Lookman in a Super Eagles jersey. He appeared charged up from the blast of the whistle, chasing down every ball and always looking positive. However, Lookman struggled to create much in the final third, and also failed to score.
He’s made a name for himself as a player who thrives in little spaces, but he was just not decisive enough in the final third. Kudos to him though, it was a decent performance.
Samuel Chukwueze 6.6/10: Chukwueze also had a decent showing. He looked really lively in the first half, but his energy levels went down in the second half. He added a very good defensive effort too.
Akor Adams 7.5/10: For A player who just got his first call-up for Nigeria two months ago, Adams is fast becoming a favorite. It is clear that he is feeding off Osimhen’s energy and is hungry to achieve success.
He scored the first goal for the Super Eagles, and that came as a result of his pressing. Although his ball usage was questionable at times, it was a very good performance overall.
Victor Osimhen 8/10: Osimhen had a very good game for Nigeria. He ran his socks off. His work rate and pressing was very impressive. However, his finishing was quite poor in the 90 minutes. He even missed a sitter in the final minute of regular time.
But he picked himself up in extra time with a beautiful brace, highlighting his extraordinary quality and great mentality.
Substitutes
Chidera Ejuke 7/10: The Sevilla man was introduced into the game in the 60th minute, and he had a good impact. He was very direct, and of course, showed his impressive dribbling skills.
He scored the goal that gave Nigeria the oomph in extra time and had an excellent work rate. It was a very good performance overall.
Moses Simon 6.3/10: The Paris FC man was a 60-minute substitute, and was introduced into the game to add some bite to Nigeria’s attack. But he did not offer much. Most of his final balls were poor. His set-pieces were also disappointing.
Frank Onyeka 6.6/10: The Brentford man was introduced into the game to add solidity to the midfield, and he actually did well, albeit the Super Eagles conceded a fortuitous goal after he was introduced. He marked well, passing was on point, and probably could have gotten an assist.