Super Eagles midfielder, Joe Aribo was at his best mettle as he produced an assist in Rangers’ 3-1 win over Braga in Thursday’s Europa League game.
The Nigerian international wasted no time as he he gave a sublime pass to James Tavernier to net Rangers opening goal in the second minute.
However, he was substituted in the 106th minute for Fashion Sakala after an impressive display.
Meanwhile, the duo of Leon Balogun and Calvin Bassey were also in action as they produced a solid defence to prevent Braga from making any threat.
Balogun came on for Borna Barisic and he gave a good account of himself.
James Tavernier’s early goal cancelled out the Portuguese side’s first-leg lead, before he had Ibrox on its feet again with a first-half penalty moments after Vitor Tormena was sent off.
Rangers were utterly dominant, hitting the woodwork twice and having three strikes disallowed, but their profligacy was punished when David Carmo’s header forced extra-time.
Rangers will travel to Germany for the first leg on 28 April, with the Ibrox return the following Thursday, and the mouthwatering games come either side of the final Old Firm derby of the season at Celtic Park.
It is Rangers’ first continental semi-final in 14 years, and a huge boost to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men ahead of Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final with Premiership leaders Celtic at Hampden.
COMMENTS
Mr. CSN reporter, Aribo had 2 assists: first and last goal.
Mr.CSN misreporter, actually Aribo had 2 assists : first and last goal.
See the players NFF wants to ban from the SE in favour of their 40% NPFL players who cannot beat clubs from Tanzania, Libya and so on to qualify for group stages of CAF club competitions…..LMAOOoo.
You will know Insanity really has levels when your FA is planning to ban players reaching the semi finals of European competitions for the ones who cannot qualify for group stages of CAF competitions just because they were born abroad…..LMAOoo.
The NFF is really full of jokers who no nothing about soccer, if they really plan on implementing such a myopic policy of quantity over quality such as using 40% of NPFL home-based players who cannot even play and win against the likes of clubs from Tanzania and Niger Republic. What a disgrace and rudderless approach by the NFF.
We don’t care Dr Dry now mr diran. Why wasn’t this translated at the Abuja stadium. Guess the Europa cup was more important than going to the World cup. Yes let them remain at there base
Kenneth, are you from the northern part of Nigeria? No offence, but you sound like one.
Kenneth is among the NFF ( Nigeria Future Failure ) mouth piece of at least is working for some board members.
His handles all these while suggested so.
His is part of them preaching egu, homebase inclussion and singing praise of amaju.
Why you wan no where am from. i came from Mars Abi you wan come collect brownie points wey your parrot they share. abeg shift go somewhere make we hear word
Kenneth, don’t let the good Doctor throw those spicy peanuts back at your face.
Good performance by all three players.
Especially impressed once again by Bassey. Does that lad have a GPS installed in his left foot? The accuracy of his long range passes was a joy to watch.
We definitely need all our best players. Their location is irrelevant. Even if we have a good player in Planet Pluto, as long as he’s one of our best, his place awaits him in the national team.
Just look at Aribo today.
Exceptional performance from the lad. He hurt Braga so badly with his movement and intelligent passes. Braga will look back on this game and single out Aribo as the guy that finished them, even though he didn’t score.
The lion keeps roaring for Rangers. We need him to start roaring for Nigeria as well.
All these guys that play in Scotland should go to a better league. The Scottish league is an inferior one. No serious footballing nation gets their national team players from Scotland. See how Partey bossed Aribo in midfield during the world cup qualifiers. We should not come here and be celebrating mediocrity. Aribo is a good player but in Scotland, he will never be able to compete with the best in the world. Beating Braga (whose league is not even in the top ten) should not come for overhyping of a player who is presently mediocre.
I come in peace!
You come in peace with words of war.
Anyway, we all agree that Aribo has not been ok for Nigeria so far. His best outings remain his first two, against Ukraine and Brazil. The rest have been mediocre to outright poor.
However, his performances in Scotland is evidence that he has what it takes. Nigeria needs a good coach to squeeze it out of him.
A good coach only adds to what a player can offer… Aribo is not good enough to be the generalissmo of Super Eagles midfield. He excelled against Ukraine and Brazil because they are not outrightly physical sides…
Nice one. Aribo is not Super Eagles material. Azubuike Okechukwu and Anderson Esiti are far better.
Jesus! Funke!
I sense sarcasm.
Keep quiet Golden Child otherwise I will throw some spicy peanuts into your cage.
I wish they showed similar commitment when playing for their fatherland.
Bassey also played well on the night. Was solid in defense and was also giving accurate long passes from his left full back position. One of which resulted in a penalty.
He should be a main stay in the super eagles team. He will adjust quickly and make the left full back position his own.
Dessers should also be invited to the super eagles. Its about time.
You cannot get Aribo to perform this way in African matchups because he lacks the toughness… European club games are different from the very physical games played on the continent… These players lack the tough physical sides to their games… How long can we continue to watch Aribo expected to take charge of our midfield struggle against even weak opponents on the continent? If they were truly up to it, we would have seen it against Ghana… but the dude was just begging to be substituted as he could clearly not cope with Ghana.
The audacity of Eguavoen to congratulate Cyril Dessers and other Nigerian players who made it into the semi final of European competitions this year on his Instagram page but the dunce didn’t know how to use them properly and never invited Dessers but listed him on his Instagram. What a fool.
@Footballfanatic… That’s where you know Eguaveon is a hypocrite. Before nations cup he said he does not know Cyriel Dessers… That’s he needs to watch him play live to know what he can bring to the table. He went for Onyekuru a winger instead of Dessers when it was clear we won’t have Osimhen and Ighalo in the squad. Bribe taking wannabe coaches…
Haba oga jimmy you dey fall my hand on this comment of yours. If Egu claims he doesn’t know Cyril, it could be that he has several options in that position. Was it his fault that Ighalo couldn’t make it to the nations cup, at least we all know what transpired. And he called Henry because he is used to him. To be candid i didn’t see anything fantastic in his game except that he took advantage of the sloppy mistakes of the prague goalkeeper. The question to ask like you stated earlier is can he withstand the physicality of the African game. And all this your noise about bribery, abeg bring out the proof that he collected money, obviously from your accusations, that means all our coaches have been collecting bribes to field players
Instead of Dessers he included Onyekuru… When Ighalo and Osimhen could not attend, Eguaveon had time to include Dessers.
Bros, would you rather work with who you know very well or some player you hadly know. It’s we the making noise about the players. Honestly am still not yet convinced about him
Eguaveon knows next to zero about modern football. He did not even have the courage to play a 3man defence and load the midfield. NFF should please but him a cable TV so that he can begin to see players like Dessers. Since he did not know him before nations cup but congratulated him last night… Lol.
Say wetin happen, because i commented. I don tell you, na you go give am mouth to mouth one day.
Is clear about those you are working for.
Maybe you can come out with your proof, if not just keep quiet of go get some spicy peanuts from your parrot
What brand are those spicy peanuts? I think you need to provide more of them.
Ok, maybe you can try the new band, that consist of cyanide and dog pupp, blended together. Thats Dr drys favourite