The Super Eagles recorded their second consecutive win in the Group D of the ongoing AFCON 2021 – a convincing 3-1 defeat of Sudan at the Roumde Adjia Stadium, Garoua on Saturday, January 15 2021.
Completesports.com rates the performance of each player that Austine Eguavoen put in the thick of action, on the scale of 1 to 10.
Maduka Okoye (6)
Maduka Okoye was unlucky to concede his first goal of the tournament from the penalty spot. Aside that, he was on holiday in most part of the game.
Ola Aina (6)
Gave away a soft penalty, but was impressive for the Eagles with his marauding runs down the right flank.
Was involved in the Eagles’ first goal following his long throw which led to Samuel Chukwueze scoring.
William Troost-Ekong (7)
Contributed to the Eagles’ second goal, as it was his header from a free-kick that came off a Sudanese defender which then hit Awoniyi.
Also Read – AFCON 2021: Dominant Eagles Outclass Sudan, Advance Into Round Of 16
Almost made it 2-0 after connecting with a swung in free-kick, but the Sudanese keeper made a point-blank save.
Kenneth Omeruo (6)
Put in a decent performance as the Sudanese attack was kept at bay in most part of the match.
Zaidu Sanusi (6)
Made a brilliant tackle inside the Eagles’ box to clear the ball in a one-on-one situation and also headed a goal bound shot away for a corner.
Joe Aribo (7)
Was unlucky not to get on the score sheet in the first half after failing to finish off a cutback from Awoniyi.
After an impressive showing, he was replaced by Kelechi Nwakali in the 65th minute.
Wilfred Ndidi (7)
Showed maturity in midfield and was one of the reasons why the defensive third of the Eagles did not have much to do.
Samuel Chukwueze (7)
Gave the Eagles the perfect start after just three minutes, calmly slotting past the keeper inside the box.
Was then replaced by Alex Iwobi before the start of the second half.
Moses Simon (9)
Provided the assist for the opening goal and then marked his superb display by scoring the third goal for the Eagles. Was very lively with influential showing throughout the match.
Was deservedly named Man of the Match to become the second Nigerian player to claim the award.
Taiwo Awoniyi (8)
Opened his goals account for the Eagles with a lucky header to make it 2-0 late in the second half.
Set up Aribo with a brilliant cutback which the Rangers midfielder failed to convert.
Kelechi Iheanacho (6)
Unlike in the game against Egypt, this was not one of his best performances for the Eagles as he was largely anonymous.
Was hooked off on 65 minutes with Ahmed Musa taking his place.
SUBSTITUTES
Alex Iwobi (6)
Replaced Chukwueze but was quiet in the early part of the second half, but became lively as the game went on.
Sent Awoniyi through on goal with a clever through pass with the striker failing to hit the target.
Kelechi Nwakali (6)
Had a better outing this time compared to the game against Egypt, as he was more composed on the ball, spraying quick passes.
Ahmed Musa (6)
Came on in the second half and was decent as he tried to inject more pace in the attack.
Umar Sadiq (5)
Once again failed to justify his introduction into the game as he struggled to make any meaningful impact.
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COMMENTS
Beautiful, congratulations to the boys once again,our football is back.every player played well except Sadiq Umar,I am highly disappointed in him because I called for his inclusion in the team but he has shown that he is not ready yet,I hope eguavon will stop playing him and try olayinka or onyekwuru,or even playmusa as a number 9
Agreed 100%. Am sure the coach will play Onyekuru and Olayinka in the next game. Kudos to the technical crew and entire. They should keep their feet on ground, take each game as it comes and keep improving. 5 more finals to be played. #4THAFCONPOSSIBLE
The hate and bitterness against Kelechi Iheanacho in this ‘Half Sports Nigeria’ (not compete) is alarming lol.
“Hate and bitterness” against Iheanacho?
I don’t know what some people are smoking this afternoon.
This is COMPLETE SPORTS NIGERIA. VERY COMPLETE.
If you no like am, commot for here. Leave it for those of us who like it.
I ain’t got time waste
I ain’t got time to waste, you can continue ranting. Cheers
Hehehehe, e shock you?
Bad belle pipo dem.
They have left you behind!
I no dey do bad belle o bros. I like to point out things when I notice it. I’m 100% sure CSN only chose Nacho as MOTN for Egypt game just in correspondence to CAF judgement rather than what they think deep down.
How can a substitute Musa get 6 rating while Ihenacho that created second goal and possibly 4th goal (which was disallowed) get 6 and described as having a poor game? The best chance Awoniyi got to score all game, was created by Nacho in the first half. The goal Awoniyi scored also came from Nacho’s delivery.
Bros, how do you know what CSN is thinking deep down?
You be winch?
CSN have a right to their opinion on Iheanacho’s performance. You also have a right to disagree with them. But to insinuate that they have hatred for Iheanacho without an iota of evidence? You sef check am na.
Las las, na CSN get this website. If you no like them, commot for here and go and open your own sports website.
I promise to visit your site from time to time, help you generate some traffic.
I agree with totally on Umar Sadiq. Many of us in this Forum clamoured for his call up .Unfortunately he is not living up to our expectation.Well we have seen what he has to Offer. His SE career has ended. Seems he cannot cope with
Pace of the current SE. It’s bad De
Ssers is not here we will have used the tournament to assess his suitable for SE. So now OUR NUMBER ONE REMAINS OSIGOAL. NUMBER 2 IS OWOYINI. UMAR, AND ONUOCHU can excuse us
@Four four two… I disagree with you on Onuachu, that dude is far better than Sadiq Umar. Paul Onuachi has a poacher’s instinct in the box, and days are coming that he will bail us out… unlike Rohr Eguaveon is good with substitutions.
Paul Onuachi is one of the most intelligent players we have in Super Eagles, he has a very high IQ for goals and we will need his qualities now we are beginning to learn how to play from the lanks properly into the box.
Noting strikers who still deserve Super Eagles involvement, we have them as follows: Osimhen, Awoniyi, Onuachu & Dessers. Now that Ighalo would not be coming back and Sadiq isnt showing us what we have not already seen, Dessers comes in naturally…
Legelege Umar has to mature I find it funny how he thinks he was too big at a point. Boy needs to mature in every aspect from shooting to movement. Olayinka will be more active I think.
Sadiq “Daddy Long Legs” Umar.
The ladies may love his long legs, but so far he has not justified his inclusion in the SE. Just dey run KITI KITI KATA KATA.
But let’s not condemn him yet. I saw a few nice touches in today’s game from Sadiq.
He is learning and will hopefully improve.
I would love to see Olayinka, Ejuke and Onyeka start the next match.
Let’s just keep supporting all the players and the coaches.
I am happy some forumites are beginning to realize certain things about players. Once again, it’s not all the stars that grab headlines in their clubsises that can perform at the National team.
More revelations coming as the tournament progresses. Everything is not about noise.
Anyway me I want to see Super Eagles play Cameroon or Cote D’Ivoire at either the semi finals or finals.
The result from there is where I will give Eguavoen credit or dislike. It’s going to be an explosive and difficult match
Sadiq Umar should fall behind Awoniyi and Olayinka going forward… If Olayinka woould not be utilised as a left winger, Eguaveon should make him deputise for Awoniyi as our second centre forward… we know he can play as a 9, and also has so much goal hustle and workrate… Sadiq is proving to neither be an intelligent striker nor a striker with good ball-hustle… in the next game Olayinka should start at centre forward or Left wing… we can rest Simon, Awoniyi and Iheanacho for them to stay fresh… in midfield we could pair Nwakali and Onyeka while Iwobi comes in later for later for Nwakali… I would have prefered Iwobi start at 10, but we have seen him so many times, and we need to allow Nwakali play his much coveted role in a real game from beginning to see if he still can put in the right shift.
we no get time for languid and criminally docile movement for anyone wanting to strike for Nigeria… Simmy Nwankwo would have done a better job than Sadiq… no wonder he still plays in Segunda Liga… often you cannot fool European clubs with anything less than an all-round balling qualities…
I would like to see Ejuke/Olayinka start on the left wing against Guinea Bissau, and Onyekwuru/Musa start on the right to whip in crosses while the left winger of Ejuke/Olayinka play the inverted role from that flank… Ebuehi should start at RB while Aina is fully rested to keep fresh, Zaidu should continue at Left back to build solidity, while Collins could cpome in for him later. But Olisa Ndah and Semi Ajayi should be paired for full duration of the game at central defence… we can test Francis Uzoho or John Noble in goal… Daniel Akpeyi’s time is past, he is one of the oldest in the team and does not have a long future anymore in Super Eagles!
Hmmmmmmmm. Nwakali playing 10?
Chukwueze is over-reliant on his left foot and wouldn’t try using his right foot even if for a simple tap pass.
I noticed that the Sudanese wouldn’t allow him cut in and use his left foot either for a pass or take a shot at goal.Same thing played out against Egypt.
With this,he was always rendered ineffective because he can’t use his right foot.
There was a moment when if he had made a simple cross into the box with his right,it would have resulted into something positive because about 2 SE players were already in promising positions in the Sudanese box.But he had to hesitate and took a comical cross attempt with the outside of his left foot. Of course it didn’t make any impact and the ball easily fell to a Sudanese player.
Chukwueze should be drilled on the use of his right foot.His inability of it is affecting his game.Now the opposition know how to stop him—they simply hobble him from using his left.
@Akin Sambaki… Good observation about Chukwueze. He plays similar to Mo Salah, Messi and Mahrez who like him are all heavily left-footed players.
However, those players mentioned in Messi, Salah and Mahrez all support their left foot with right, essentially making short passes, supportive movements.
I have long observed Samuel Chukwueze as a one-legged player and he should look to a young player like Michael Oliseh. Infact if Super Eagles and Nigeria can get that Olise guy Chukwueze won’t be starting games for us at the right flank anymore.
NFF & Nigeria should do everything humanly possible to induce Patrick Viera and his agents to get the guy to play for Nigeria. That youngman Olise is a Quintessential and vintage player… I see that boy ending up in Bayern, Madrid or Barcelona very soon.
If Adarabioyo, Oliseh, Ejaria & Lookman can join the current crop of players we have, believe me we will cause major chaos in world football in the ensuing years.
@JimmyBall you have started another campaign for the inclusion of players. The ones you campaigned for haven’t lived up to their expectations. Yet you begin another one.
If this is not the definition of silliness, then I do not know what is.
You know what it means to be silly? Who has not lived up to expectation? If you are talking about Nwakali then you don’t even know anything about football.
Nwakali came in to calm the game oga, he played to instruction. After we were already in front 3-1 you still want Nwakali to come and score two goals from midfield.
Some of una think say because ww the argue ball here na mate we be… call me silly next time and watch me end your commentary here. I no be your mate… idiot.
WHAT IMPACT DO U WANT SADIQ TO MAKE WITHIN 10MINS ESPECIALLY WHEN HE ISNT GETTING THE SERVICE HE NEEDS.
SOON PEOPLE WILL BE SAYING HE ISN’T READY FOR SUPER EAGLES.
WHY NOT GIVE HIM AS MUCH TIME AS AWONIYI HAS HAD. AWONIYI’S GOAL WAS A FORTUNATE ONE AS THE BALL GRAZED HIS HEAD BEFORE GOING INTO THE NET. HE IS YET TO FULLY JUSTIFY HIS INCLUSION IN THE TEAM AS WELL SO NO ONE SHOULD RATE SADIQ AS POOR. BUT I BELIEVE WITH TIME THEY WILL BOTH TURN OUT TO BE GREAT OPTIONS FOR THE TEAM. ALL THEY NEED IS UNDERSTANDING WITH THEIR TEAMMATES.
According to the report iwobi even set awoniyi up with a true ball which he blasted wide. He has had a lot of opportunities and a fortunate goal for his efforts, lets start sadiq and give him an hour at least before we start rating him so low.
Hasn’t justified his inclusion???? Lmaoo wow
Yea, he hasnt justified his inclusion with goals since you all feel sadiq isnt ready for the Super Eagles because he is yet to score. In his 10mins cameo he has shown good linkage and holdup play and also strength on the ball. The only thing he hasnt done is put the ball in the net. And I ask has he even been given an opportunity to score which he missed but awoniyi has had opportunities and time on the field yet we haven’t seen the goals pouring in from him. Im not saying he hasn’t done well, he has. His energy in games takes a lot of attention from the wingers and this helps the team. But when you criticise sadiq after 10mins on the pitch I have to point out that Sadiq has had less time to show what he can do.
You must have watched a different match. The influence of Awoniyi doesn’t need to be in form of goals in Eguaveon’s current set up. Go watch the matches again. He was the major reason Iheanacho and Moses have been getting spaces in the 18 yard box of the opponents. When he holds the ball, it’s always a nightmare to the defenders of our opponents. He’s been using his physique to good effect, drawing defenders to himself to free up his mates. The only chance he today fell on his weak foot. Aribo lost a glaring chance too. That doesn’t make him a poor player. Let’s be fair in our assessment.
_ Super Eagles Player Ratings against Sudan _
The Super Eagles bagged their route to the second round of the ongoing Afcon tournament with the proverbial game to spare following a breezy 3:1 win against stubborn Sudan today.
We fans were looking for a punchy start from the Eguavoen’s mercenaries to set the tone and Chukwueze duly obliged in just 3 minutes when his neat effort just inside the 18 yard box riffled through a body of players to leave the goalkeeper marooned; 1:0 to Nigeria.
Though we were leading as per score-line, it was the Sudanese who seemed in the driving seat shortly afterwards. They pushed hard for an equaliser, doubled up on and neutralised our danger-men, stopped the Super Eagles from settling into a rhythm and attempted to take command of the midfield.
However they were soon bundled back to the passenger seat after Awoniyi’s phantom header off Ekong’s delightful headed-lob gave the Super Eagles an unassailable 2:0 lead just before half time.
And after marvellous Moses Simon added gloss to the scores in 46 minutes, the Sudanese were well and truly pushed out of the high speed vehicle. His neat near-post finish – following a move he begun from the flanks with his darting run past a body of hapless defenders and looping pass to Awoniyi – was a joy to behold; 3:0 to Nigeria.
Sudan did pull one back from the penalty spot following a needless infraction from Aina but it did nothing to dampen the mood of us fans; 3:1 in the end.
I now take a look at how the players rated.
Starters:
Goalkeeper:
1. Maduka Okoye (5.5/10) didn’t look overly convincing in some of the saves he produced today. There was a long ball that came from his left flank in the second half that he misjudged and dropped only to pick it up the second time; this could have led to a major incident. Towards the end of the match, Okoye also seemed to make a hash of a low parry from the same left side with his effort falling kindly to Ekong’s feet. Had that been a sharp opponent, the outcome would have been very different. He made a number of routine saves and his starting position was often decent enough for him to come out and collect the ball severally.
Although you can never blame a goalkeeper for not saving a penalty, Okoye’s attempt in trying to do just that was just unattractive as he was beaten hopelessly. He did try to locate Iwobi with one of his distributions but nothing useful came out of it. In all Okoye doesn’t always inspire confidence. He is the number one and he puts up a very decent shift. Though very committed, he is susceptible to some questionable judgements.
Full-backs:
2. Ola Aina (7/10) could definitely claim a pre-assist for Chukwueze’s opener as his gravity defying throw-in kicked off the melee that eventually led to the goal. After Iwobi was introduced, he had more freedom to bomb forward at will with purposeful runs that were beautiful to the eye. A lot of his crosses were decent with the one he delivered following a pass from Iwobi holding much promise. There was one driven pass he delivered to Awoniyi which could have led to a goal on another day. At the back, he was also solid bar his needless shirt-pull that earned him a yellow and Nigeria penalty. Apart from that, Aina hardly put a foot wrong. He carried out his role with verve and energy. He was a willing outlet offensively and a promontory at the back. He is growing to be one of Big Boys of this Super Eagles outfit alongside Simon and Aribo. His place in this Super Eagles starting 11 is rock solid.
3) Sanusi Zaidu (7/10) performed his defensive duties to very high standards today particularly in the first half when the Sudanese were in the ascendancy. His crosses were to acceptable levels though scopes for improvement exist. There was a time he shielded the ball around 30 minutes that caught the eye delightfully. He kept his passes simple and some were intricate. His attention-to-position was spot on today. Zaidu executed a made-for-camera sliding-tackle-interception and retrieval in the second half that underlined his credentials as a UEFA Champions League full back.
All in all it was a good day in the office for the Porto man. He hasn’t given the fans reasons to grumble and continues to evoke pleasant memories of iconic players like Babayaro who want held the reins in that position for the Super Eagles.
Centre-backs:
4) William Troost-Ekong (8/10) put up an incredible performance offensively that made me think he went to bed last night dreaming of scoring a goal today. At least he provided an assist. Ekong’s eloquent volley off a Moses Simon free kick almost found the back of the net before a goals mouth scramble ensued shortly afterwards. The beauty behind the technique he employed for that volley can’t be over-emphasised. He also almost latched on to a through ball inside Sudan’s 18 yard box intending to rattle the net. His assist for Awoniyi’s ghost headed goal was masterful: perfectly placed inside the 18 yard box, he navigated his header towards Awoniyi who only needed the Head of God to help him divert the ball inside the net.
Defensively – his primary subroutine – Ekong was solid. He was alert to pull off several blockages throughout the match as he matched the physicality of the Sudanese. His long balls from the back to mainly Awoniyi needed significant efforts by the Sudanese to be neutralised. In all, Ekong delivered a delightful all round performance as he looked to be thoroughly at home and at peace with himself.
5) Kenneth Omeruo (6/10) was alert throughout this match to contain the stubborn Sudanese who were determined in the first have to find a route back into the match. He was content to hold the fort while adventurous Ekong forayed forward almost at will. He moved the ball towards the halfway line several times before attempting to locate Moses Simon with driven or high balls (these were hit and miss efforts). Had he executed a low cross masterfully towards 86 minutes, Nigeria could have profited out of it. His communication with those around him was effective as he looked to play with a calm head. His defensive positioning did not create needless gaps and he did not produce some of those ridiculous comedic-incompetent moments that he is capable of.
All in all, there can be little complaint about how Omeruo dispensed his duties today. But sterner tests await.
Midfielders:
6) Wilfred Ndidi (6/10) moved further forward after Nwakali’s introduction but nothing overly meaningful or memorable came out of it. Having said that; he seemed to strike a good understanding with the Huesca man. Uncharacteristically, I spotted Ndidi lose possession a few times. He appeared to lose the midfield battle to the Sudanese in the first half as he struggled to help Nigeria gain a foothold. There were also a few overcooked passes and he also lost his footing at times. Having said all that, his tackles and interceptions improved as the game wore on. Also, he delivered his fair share of simple passes to push the team forward. The experiment to use him as a sort of creative outlet after Nwakali came on didn’t really work with me.
All in all, Ndidi did not allow himself to be drawn out of position. Yes, the Sudanese dominated the midfield in parts of the first half; it didn’t mean that Ndidi was entirely overrun. However, he didn’t impose himself as one of the Big Boys of the Super Eagles today despite carrying out his DM tasks to very acceptable levels (for the most parts).
7) Joe Aribo (7/10) had more of a solid than spectacular performance today. Based on the team formation, he and Ndidi could not help tame midfield rage of the Sudanese in the first half. The opposition paid some attention to him (being well aware of his threat) and he struggled slightly to shake them off initially. Following his exceptional performance against Egypt, opposition eyes will be on him just as the Sudanese sought to choke him out of the game earlier on. I also recall seeing Aribo lose possession at times but he also retrieved the ball and recycled possession several times for Nigeria. His passes were pleasant and his movements were purposeful without necessarily having the poise and elegance displayed against Egypt. His attention-to-position remained pristine as well as the intensity to which he applies in dispensing his tasks. He also had an attempt at goal following a cut-back from Awoniyi. He also drew a foul for Nigeria in a promising position as the Sudanese tried to contain him.
Aribo is no push-over and even despite today’s showing, he remains one of the Big Boys of this Super Eagles outfit.
8) Kelechi Iheanacho’s (5.5/10) rabble rousing free-kick during the match caused a commotion that led to Awoniyi’s goal off Ekong’s flick. His through ball to Awoniyi in 26 minutes was sublime. However, Iheanacho was sporadic in impact today. He didn’t really exert himself in the match and few golden moments came from him. With the Sudanese on the front foot early in the first half, Iheanacho seemed starved of service. A lot was expected of him today owing to his tag of senior man but this to me was a junior display. Iheanacho’s tendency to blow hot and cold is legendary and in this match, he failed to effectively stamp his authority
.
He did hustle and tried to get stuck in but was ultimately unable to sustain his performance to a standard that one can applaud. Yet, he played his part in maintaining the team shape and extending Nigeria’s lead.
Wingers:
9) Samuel Chukwueze (6/10) is fast growing into Eguavoen’s philosophy of defending in droves. He tracked backed expertly to shore up the midfield and defence when Nigeria were under the cosh in the first half. He provided an extra body to help neutralise a Sudanese threat following a corner kick. He also defended doggedly following another breakaway from the Sudanese shortly afterwards. His crosses to dangerous areas were decent enough and his corner kicks to corridors of uncertainty created chaos for Sudan. And his goal was heart-warming to fans in just 5 minutes following his neat drive that went through a body of defenders before leaving the goalkeeper at sea.
In spite of all his good work today, Chukwueze is yet to really arrive in this tournament. His performances across both games are largely subdued by his standard. Defensively he has improved massively but offensively he is yet to fire on all cylinders. He is too predictable and over-relies on left foot for almost everything. His take-ons aren’t generating jaw dropping moments and he doesn’t get into too many promising positions. Massive improvements are required to live up to his owns lofty standards.
10) Moses Simon (8.5/10 – my Man of The Match) tore through a platoon of defenders before giving a looping pass and then ghosting into the 18 yard box to finish off the return pass (off a defender) with aplomb for Nigeria’s 3rd goal. Before then, his brilliantly floated in-swinging free kick in 35 minutes caused mayhem as Ekong and others almost scored from it. I think he actually joined in the goals mouth melee that ensued sometime afterwards. Throughout the match Simon was a creative outlet for the Super Eagles. Tried as they might, the Sudanese found him too hot to handle and too cold to hold. He kept driving at them from the left with menace. He accelerated into space with purpose and executed his take-ons expertly. His set piece deliveries were also eye catching as were his simple yet effective passes. He produced magical moments of note with his movements and his goal was the peak of the bunch.
Simon is undoubtedly the surprise star of this Afcon. Two years ago in Egypt, his impact was near-negligible. In fact towards the tail end of Rohr’s reign, many had given up on him as a veritable, viable winger for Nigeria. However, Simon has proven many wrong with his displays today (and against Egypt) that were laced with creativity, craft and class. His crosses even improved. If he keeps this up, I can confidently predict that Moses Simon will make the CAF IX at the end.
Striker:
11) Taiwo Awoniyi (7/10) delivered a great driven pass to Aribo which could have resulted in a goal. He tends to drop deep to try to retrieve the ball for Nigeria and then run into the space he created to collect any resulting pass to then wreck havoc. He did get into promising positions in which one such occasion led to his goal. The ball the ballooned off his head and it was by far not a neat header, but, Awoniyi gets credit for planting himself in the right location to profit from Ekong’s headed flick. Similarly to his goal, his presence also resulted in the pass back to Simon for Nigeria’s 3rd goal. He made a fantastic run in 26 minutes to meet Iheanacho’s eloquent through ball before scuffing his shot. Really, Awoniyi needs to be doing better.
When it comes to work rate, one can’t fault Awoniyi. But when it comes to output, I am afraid he is a bit wayward. He doesn’t take his chances with icy precision. The killer instinct is missing. Even his goal and assist today were rather awkward. Really, Awoniyi needs to be doing better.
Substitutes: to be continued…
_Substitute Players and Coach Ratings:_
1.Sadiq Umar (4/10) was not involved in any moments of note in this game. He had a shot on goal which could best be described as lame. He tried to keep up with the pace of the game but out ran the ball on occasions. What he did do well was to provide extra body for Nigeria up front that meant the Sudanese had to think twice before over-committing to attack. He also won a foul for Nigeria in a promising position. It is safe to say that Sadiq is yet to work out what works for him to produce a compelling performance for Nigeria with the time allotted to him. His movement is yet to sync with his colleagues and the tactical formation of the team does not seem to bring out the best of his qualities.
2. Kelechi Nwakali (6/10) is gradually starting to warm into the tournament. He looked assured in the defensive midfield department; his defensive skills were however not put to the test. He seemed nippy and fluid with his movements and passes. There was also a touch of exuberance in his approach. He was sort of shelling out passes but none of these was overly creative. His attention-to-position was spot on and his willingness to drive into delicate areas was commendable. He did sit back to allow Ndidi venture more forward. His ball control was delicate and his short and long range passes to Iwobi and Zaidu particularly caught the eye. With Nigeria safely through to the next round, I suspect Eguavoen handing Nwakali a starting berth against Guinea Bissau.
3. Alex Iwobi (5.5/10) was anonymous shortly after coming on but then picked the pace as the match wore on. His through ball to Awoniyi into the 18 yard box caused the Sudanese a spot of bother. He operated closer to the touchline than Chukwueze. In short, the highlights of Iwobi’s game were his passes. There was a nice lay off to Aina, a decent driven pass to Aribo and smooth passes generally that helped the Super Eagles maintain their tempo. He didn’t do anything overly spectacular though he could have had an assist. Iwobi was expected to be a standout performer but nothing he did really elevated his status to extraordinary heights.
4. Ahmed Musa (5.5/10) tried to reinvent himself in the game and it almost worked. He was calm in possession and played with a cool head. He seemed to want to ‘sneak’ into dangerous areas to do damage. He looked assured and confident as he tried to a 1-2 routine with Moses Simon that almost worked but his neat back-heel was intercepted. Another 1-2 routine with Awoniyi was botched with Awoniyi’s weak first touch. He did locate Aina with one of his passes. I have a feeling Eguavoen will play him as a sort of impact sub in this tournament.
Coach:
Augustine Eguavoen’s (7/10) formation left Nigeria struggling in midfield early in the match. The team’s routine didn’t always come off and the Super Eagles were more reactive than proactive very early on despite their early lead. The pattern of play was worrying initially and he didn’t seem to have an answer for his danger men being marked off the game. In fact the first 35 minutes almost transported me back to the groundhog-days of Rohr’s abysmal second term as Super Eagles coach. It was nice to see Eguavoen come out to gesture to the team to adjust their shape in the face of the challenges they faced.
The movement improved in the second half and the pacing picked up after Simon’s goal: Eguavoen surely said something to the team in half time. The quality of the set pieces improved and deliveries from the wingers also improved somewhat. The blending also became enhanced and his substitutions were timely and functional. The tone and complexion of the Super Eagles game was moderate whereas I expected it to be high. There are those who would bemoan the inclusion of Umar and the exclusion of Ejuke but Umar needs to find his way around before he can settle.
All in all the score line was great but the brand of football today was neither overly entertaining nor enthralling. But Eguavoen’s Eagles got the job done – if not in style – at least emphatically.
Was it the shirt pull, or the foot stomp, that resulted in the penalty and yellow card? Another report suggests that it was because Aina glared angrily at the Sudanese defender. Or maybe he farted and polluted the air, causing the Sudan defender some discomfort. The guy took a whiff of Aina’s fart, and fell backwards in theatrical fashion, as if he’d been shot! Gimme a break!
I’m completely lost on how that is a penalty. They want to turn the game into a game for sissies. Even the ladies will be embarrassed at how soft the penalty is.
For crying out loud, IT’S A CONTACT SPORT. Defenders and strikers will touch, push, and shove each other. It’s a foul if it’s excessive. But what happened between Aina and that thieving Sudanese dude was not excessive.
Pompei, I wonder what gets into the head of footballers sometimes. A closer slow motion examination of the event revealed Aina clearly tugging at the shirt of the Sudanese player inside the 18 yard box: a stonewall infraction. However ‘mild’ the shirt pull was, it was just stupid in my view as there was no need at all for Aina to have done it more so as the Sudanese player in question posed no threat. In fact, praise should go to the Sudanese player milking Aina’s carelessness for all its worth to win his side a neat penalty. He showed the sort of trickery seen in very elite players like Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane.
Agreed, Aina had no business tugging on the Sudan player’s jersey, inside our 18 yard box. However, the Sudan guy made a meal of the situation. See the way he hit the floor, as if he had been hit by a truck? He also had his hands all over Aina at that moment. Other refs would have given him a yellow card for simulation, given his theatrical fall to the ground.
The match commentator of the feed I watched, and many other sports websites, unanimously agree that it was a soft penalty. Great for Sudan, but not so good for the beautiful game.
Looool, Simon is indeed the surprise of this Afcon so far.
I recall a forumite once complained that Simon can’t dribble past an ant if his life depended on it. Loool. Well, this Simon is not too far away from the Neymars of this world. If he can just stay consistent and produce more goals and assists.
Indeed, we were overrun in the midfield by the Sudanese. They hunted the ball down in packs, like wild dogs. And they just kept running. Those guys have some serious lungs on them! Aribo and Ndidi did their best, but Sudan was dominant in the middle. Unlike the Sudanese however, Aribo and Ndidi were more productive when they had the ball, for the most part.
Even Victor Osimhen didn’t start scoring goals for the Super Eagles immediately. He had his first afcon match in the last edition when he came into the second half and played for more than 20min/30mins and he didn’t score. But today he is our number one striker. Give sadiq time!
@Sportsfan… You seem so sold on Sadiq Umar. He has not been given much time but decisions and plays he made with the few minutes he has gotten combined can be said so far to be lame and uninspiring.
We clamored for him but the verdict about him as being uninspiringly lethargic so far is alrwsdy building up. It will do Sadiq Umar to start being hustle-like and aggressive now before fans swell negative verdict about him. Even Onuachu who caught the aggressive drift after starting out lethargic in games he was fielded is appearing to be priceless in comparison to Sadiq.
Each players have their own unique style of play.
Onuachu could not play like Osimhen because he didn’t have his pace and directness of play as well as his finishing. But onuachu has presence inside 18 yards and that is why we appealed to the former coach to play to his strengths.
The coach of the current Super Eagles team should discover the strength of both players and use it in the team.
He cant ask sadiq to run around all over the pitch especially since its better to use his height, and ability to hold up play and bring other players into the game.
His passes are also not bad.
All im asking is for him to get more playing time. Lets see if he makes good use of it or not.
@Sportfan Will u play an umar over Onuach if u are a coach? The national team is not a learning arena and d truth is bitter but Umar has no business been in d team.
I would first of all like to say congratulations to the Super Eagles for qualifying us for the second round of the tourney.
Secondly, the play by play assessment of the players though can’t be exactly perfect but with what I see this evening, could be taken as a generalization of perfection.
Thank you CSN and other contributory members of the platform for being objective and most especially that you heed to my call of raising the bar. These are ingredients I had always wanted since the contents on the platform are been read all over the globe. I’m more convinced that it’s sustainable from the expression of interest you have all shown so far. Let’s keep it up as we look forward to our next match.
Correction
‘contributing’
Hi Oseodion, that was short and straight to the point. I remembered it was about two months ago tht you advised on the need for us to be objective and even started with statistical representations. Any statistics on the SE winning Afcon?
Hello Sam, surely we are going to have a conversation but please let’s wait till the 2nd round of the tourney and besides, this thread is on rating. Thanks.
I will take @DEO’s rating over CSN’s (though much improved than against EGYPT). DEO, kudos to you for a brilliant rating.
I also completely agree with @POMPEI on.SIMOM MOSES and the fluke PENALTY. That wasn’t a penalty. I was one of the fans highly critical of how GERNIT ROHR deployed MOSES SIMON. I hope I have a witness who remmembered my outbursts on how he was converted to a wing back when we have AINA.
We all can see where the problem was.
Moses Simon was always a delight to watch under Oliseh and ROHR’s initial reign until he was almost destroyed by the tactically bereft former gaffer.
Players habe not changed. Formation has.
Congratulations to SE once again.
To @BEN…you bettet embrace change or continue to wallow in pain and sorrow.
I was made a comment here about DESSERS and UMAR and @KELS (I hope am right) came for me writing about how ALMERIA and the Segunda DIVISION is bla bla bla.
I can only rate a player when I see them.play and perform in FIRST DIVISIONS. Period! Danish, Czech and Belgian First DIVISIONS leagues are of of a higher quality than the SERBIAN lrague. ONUACHU proved himself at DENMARK and is proving himself in BELGIUM. He played less minutes under the clueless ROHR and scored goals.
OLAYINKA has played in BELGIUM…with results for AA GENT and is proving himself in CZECH were he plays season in season out agaijst top EUROPEAN oppositions like BARCA, etc
Only Nigerian politics will make any coach invite UMAR at the expense of DESSERS or start him.ahead of PETER OLAYINKA.
I read somone write negatively about AWONIYI. I love your responses @JIMMYBALL. These are hid first 2 caps and he has had about 5 shots on target, scored 1 goal and had a hand in SIMON’s goal. Not bad for a player earninh his 2nd full caps.
OLIVER GIROUD played 7 matches at the last WC without a goal or a shot om goal! The only striker more clinical than AWONIYI today is OSIMHEN (DESSERS hasnt been given another chance after that cameo against TUNISIA. That cameo had more life than SADIQ’s combined cameos. It means DESSERS is better than him:. Even in the U23, where AWONIYI struggled, OSIMHEN hit a hatrick the next match.
You can’t do without mentioning that man in any of your comments even after he has moved on. Fine eagles won but over celebrating winning against Sudan even one can all see the only difference in the match our qualities otherwise it could have gone either way. Well, in as long as you are entitled to your opinions but will advise you to let do it one by one as we are about getting to the thick of the competition and hopefully our Naiga triumph at the end but if it doesn’t happen kudos should still be giving to the players and technical crew rather than blaming a particular players or coaches are some of you are found of doing when things did not go our way. Just an advice though before people start slating me….
I will be glad if Super Eagles can sign MICHAEL OLISE & IKE UGBO which was born in England, but his father born in Nigeria and wants him to play for Nigeria, they’ve been playing well in their current club, they are extraordinary fit for the World Cup has a hole.
My suggestion on umar sadiq he need more drills, let’s just try to give him chance, with time i know his tactics will be okay