The Super Eagles were on the losing side again after going down 1-0 to Ecuador in their second friendly game played in New Jersey, United States in the early hours of Friday, Completesports.com reports.
An early goal by Villarreal left-back Pervis Estupinan handed new Eagles coach Jose Peseiro his second defeat.
The Eagles made only one change from the starting line-up against Mexico, following the introduction of Faisal Sani for the injured Innocent Bonke.
The three-time AFCON champions have now gone five straight games without a win, losing three and drawing two.
Up next for Peseiro and his team is the 2023 AFCON qualifiers against Sierra Leone and Sao Tome and Principe.
Also Read: Ecuador 1-0 Nigeria: How Gallant Super Eagles Rated
After a bright start Ecuador took the lead just three minutes thanks to Estupinan who ran on to a swung in setpiece unmarked before heading past a stranded Francis Uzoho.
In the 11th minute Ecuador almost doubled their lead through Angel Mena but his attempted lob hit the roof of the net.
The Eagles had a shout for a penalty in the 14th after Terem Moffi looked to have been brought down after rounding the Ecuadorian keeper but the referee blew for a goal kick.
Ecuador continued to create chances and almost went 2-0 up following a brilliant curler from Jose Cifuentes but Uzoho tipped the goal bound strike over for a corner.
In the 30th minute Semi Ajayi had the Eagles best chance but saw his header saved on the line by the Ecuadorian keeper.
Before the commencement of the second half, the Eagles made two chances with Ola Aina and Emmanuel Dennis replacing Sani and Chidozie Awaziem.
Just three minutes into the second half it was Ecuador who went close for a second goal but Uzoho got down well to stop a low shot.
In the 50th minute Moffi tried a low strike on the edge of the box but the opponent keeper made a good save.
Emmanuel Dennis should have drawn the Eagles level on 57 minutes following a superb cross from Bassey but he blazed his effort over the bar from close range.
Bassey went close for the Eagles on 62 minutes with a long range shot which Ecuador keeper saved.
Few minutes later Dessers was played through on goal and came face to face with the keeper but couldn’t go past him.
In the 69th minute Moses Simon floated in a corner but Ajayi’ s header landed on the roof of the net.
The Eagles continued to push for the equaliser and were almost rewarded on 80 minutes as Dessers met a corner with his head but saw his effort go inches wide.
Ecuador had a chance to double their lead in the 82nd minute but Uzoho pulled a great save before the rebound was blazed over the bar.
With two minutes left Uzoho pulled another great save as he got down quickly to palm away a low shot.
MATCH STATS
Ecuador 1-0 Nigeria
Scorer:
ECU: Pervis Estupinan (3′)
ECUADOR Starting Lineup
22 Alexander Dominguez – GK (Yellow card, 80′)
7 Pervis Estupinan
2 Felix Torres
17 Angelo Preciado (Byron Castillo, 46′)
3 Piero Hincapie
20 Jhegson Mendez
21 Jose Cifuentes ( Dixon Arroyo, 86′)
23 Moises Caicedo (Xavier Arreaga, 86′)
15 Angel Mena (Gonzalo Plata, 59′)
13 Enner Valencia (Jeremy Sarmiento, 71′)
9 Leonardo Campana (Michael Estrada, 60′)
SUBS NOT USED:
1 Hernan Galindez
12 Wellington Ramirez
4 Robert Arboleda
10 Djorkaeff Reasco
18 Diego Palacios
8 Alexander Alvarado
Coach: Gustavo Alfaro (Argentina)
SUPER EAGLES Starting Lineup
23 Francis Uzoho
20 Chidozie Awaziem (Ola Aina, 46′)
5 William Troost-Ekong
6 Semi Ajayi
21 Calvin Bassey
3 Faisal Sani (Emmanuel Dennis, 46)
10 Joe Aribo
18 Alex Iwobi
15 Moses Simon
19 Terem Moffi (Victor Mbaoma, 85′)
9 Cyriel Dessers
SUBS NOT USED:
16 Olorunleke Ojo
8 Chiamaka Madu
17 Ishaq Rafiu
1 Adeyinka Adewale
14 Buhari Ibrahim
3 Babatunde Bello
Coach: Jose Peseiro (Portugal)
By James Agberebi
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COMMENTS
Profligacy in front of goal is the SEs Achilles Heel until the team start converting to their chances to goals we will struggle to win matches….we go again
Failure to converts your chances early in the game of football will hunt you on the long run. One moment of carelessness by the defenders and lack of taking ur opportunities when it matter most by the strikers. Good job by the coach and the boys are also putting the efforts. There is need for a proper number 10, who can dribble, open up spaces and square play. The two friendly games are very crucial and helpful. In addition to that, I noticed that all the games Wilfred Ndidi didn’t played, we are always struggling to hold our ground.
As much as I agree with you on the game analysis, I think these two games have made me have a change of mind on our long call for some imaginary creative midfielders. Iwobi and Aribo together created over 10 clear-cut chances in both games. If they can do that against top-rated sides like Mexico and Ecuador, then, I don’t see a need for some non-existing ‘Jay Jay’. If Osimhen had played in these games, I’m convinced these results wouldn’t have been the same. Hence, I think the major problem is actually the low-quality backups for Osimhen. Dessers, Onuachu, Sadiq, and Moffi qualities are not close to what we have in Osimhen. I’m beginning to believe that the two players we really can’t do without right now are Iwobi and Osimhen. If you have a look down through the last 6 months, you would see that we have paid huge prices in the absence of any of them when we played any good side. In conclusion, I would urge Dessers, Moffi, Onuachu, and Sadiq to step up their games….I mean, Dessers we were all clamoring for was really not in any way clinical in that Ecuador game.
But Osimeh played the World Cup playoff games against Ghana and didn’t score a goal.Dessers missed his chances yesterday and so was Osimeh during the playoffs. Let’s be honest with ourselves, our guys are not that good and I think that explains why a good number of them play for lower division, struggling or relegated teams.
Judging by the chances the boys created (but failed to convert), there is hope. Peseiro should guide them on how to be lethal finishers.
They should attempt to take their chances. It shall be well. No need to panic.
No coach can teach a player how to score. You could do all the practice in training and still fail in the actual match. Training and match are two different things. Goalscoring comes naturally! No coach taught Ronaldo, Messi, Aguero, Kane, Benzema or Mo Salah how to score. They’re all natural goalscorers with striking-composure and accuracy.
One big problem with Nigerias. They believe if you don’t play in bigger league, you never ripe for national team. NAIGERIA have good conny top 9 in some small league but if you don’t have contact in Nff, nobody will look your face. I will advise NFF to start inviting players from Denmark, Norway,Sweden. Belgium. Even division 2 in England. Lethal conny top 9 comes ones in a while. Conny Midfielder like JJ okocha comes once in awhile. So nigeria coaches should give everybody equal chance to perform from under17 to under23. Don’t take bribe, just honest selection. You will get nice players in the street.
Thanks chubuike, we too get many average and overrated players in this present eagleas Jare. Those players will only pull a stun once in a while and then go into oblivion the next day.
If it is Rohr they will blame him for not making use of substitutes. Why did Equado coach made 6 substitutes while are our own could only made 3, maybe he is afraid to use the homebase players. When we tell them homebase players are not better than those foreigners they wouldn’t listen. Abeg what is the usefulness of those homebase players than making us a short one that the coach is even afraid to use judging by the number of his substitutes in both matches. Those that even play can we say they outshine the foreign ones? I pray one day we will learn
Looking forward, I believe a 3 man midfield of Ndidi, Iwobi and Aribo would be very very effective and only one striker in osimhen. Iheanacho can come in and we change to a 2 man (Ndidi and Aribo/Etebo) wen needed.
So-called home-based players are useless, unbaked, timid and corruptly infused into the National Team to please the minister of sport. Nigeria is now known as a game looser. 5 games without a win. Nigeria will lose again against Sierra Leone on the 9th of June. The winning mentality is gone with the wrong sacking of Oga Rohr. Winner will win again, and loser will surely lose again and again. Nigeria has lost 5 times in a row. Coach do not listen to the Minister of Sport or the NFF. Invite the following players before you face Loene Stars, Eneachor, Lookman, Osimhen, Amoo, if fit, Onuachu,and Balogun if fit as well or you fail like Egueavon did before you came. Nigeria only know how to lose these days.
People are always saying we need Okocha type midfielders. Apart from say zidane and perhaps very few others, most respected midfielders to date are not great dribblers and they’re equally as effective, in their unique styles. Example, Viera, Yaya Toure, Pirlo, Luca Modric, Xavi, Iniesta etc. There’s two simple things l’ve been noticing that if applied, will make us a better team. First, we must stop playing ,”Come find me” football and start showing up in the gaps for passes. It not only takes the pressure off the player with the ball, it eliminateds unnecessary dribbling which zaps energy. Not to mention that improves pass completion rate and accuracy. Second, we always forget our back post once we’re getting a cross or attack from the opposite flank. Why? Why? Why? Am l the only one that sees it? Watch most of the goals we’ve been scored for years. It’s a correctable gifts we need to stop. I’m sure in the lockers, the other teams will be laughing about how juvenile those mistakes are. I didn’t watch but l’m guessing that’s how we got scored on this last time. Right? Fix just these two things and you’ll see what will happen.