Eagles seek balance, Osimhen remains pivotal

Nigeria secured the top spot in their Nations Cup qualifying Group D after a late equaliser by Victor Osimhen salvaged a point against Gernot Rohr’s Benin at the Stade Félix Houphouet-Boigny in Cote d’Ivoire.

Interim coach Augustine Eguavoen introduced Gabriel Osho for his first cap and adopted a new formation with Kelechi Iheanacho and Alex Iwobi as a creative duo, which struggled after the Cheetahs took a surprising lead.

Despite dominating possession with 68%, the Eagles only created three significant chances and took five shots, compared to Benin’s 12 shots, two of which were on target.

Here are the players’ ratings:

Stanley Nwabali (90 minutes): 6/10: The Chippa United goalkeeper made necessary saves but might have reacted quicker to Mohamed Tirana’s header that slipped through his legs. Eguavoen may start with Maduka Okoye in the next game against Rwanda.

William Troost-Ekong (Captain) (90 minutes): 6/10: Troost-Ekong struggled with his distribution from the back and was physically challenged by Benin’s Steve Mounié.

Calvin Bassey (90 minutes): 6/10: A solid outing for the Fulham defender, although he appeared hesitant in his passing. His physicality contributed defensively but could improve on his pace of play.

Gabriel Osho (45 minutes): 5/10: His debut saw mixed results. Although strong in one-on-ones, he conceded the corner leading to Benin’s goal and was static.

Ola Aina (82 minutes): 5/10: Playing as a wing-back, the Nottingham Forest defender lacked impact, with just one successful cross.

Bruno Onyemaechi (90 minutes): 6/10: The Boavista player was proactive, delivering three crosses and narrowly missing a shot. He made a vital tackle on Tijani to prevent another goal.

Wilfred Ndidi (90 minutes): 7/10: Ndidi’s play was effective, leading in tackles, passes, and duels. He worked tirelessly in both defensive and offensive transitions.

Kelechi Iheanacho (45 minutes): 5/10: While given the freedom to link up the attack, Iheanacho often passed backward, with Benin’s physical play restricting his creativity.

Alex Iwobi (72 minutes): 5.5/10: Despite his impressive form for Fulham, Iwobi struggled, making several errors. His proximity to the scorer may have also contributed to the goal conceded.

Ademola Lookman (90 minutes): 6/10: Lookman had a subdued performance, potentially because of the pitch conditions. He switched flanks with Simon to influence the game.

Victor Osimhen (90 minutes): 7.5/10: Osimhen equalled Segun Odegbami’s goal tally, only trailing Rashidi Yekini. Despite frequent offsides, his 81st-minute equaliser reinforced his value to the team.

Substitutes

Moses Simon (45 minutes) – 6.5/10: The Nantes player assisted for the equaliser and was instrumental after swapping flanks, linking well with Osimhen.

Raphael Onyedika (45 minutes): 6/10: Paired with Ndidi, the Club Brugge midfielder played a role in building offensive momentum.

Victor Boniface (18 minutes): 5/10: The Leverkusen forward struggled to make an impact, missing a key opportunity in the box.

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Bright Osayi-Samuel (8 minutes): 4/10: The Fenerbahce winger focused on defence to prevent further goals.

Frank Onyeka (3 minutes) – N/A: Had minimal time on the field.

Coach Augustine Eguavoen – 6/10: Eguavoen’s tactical changes improved the team’s performance in the second half. However, more work is needed in the attacking department for the Eagles to be more clinical.