Super Eagles player ratings : Iwobi shines brightest, Osimhen a menace, Bassey impresses, Sadiq not at the races :: All Nigeria Soccer

The Super Eagles won their first game under Jose Peseiro’s management against Sierra Leone on Thursday evening.

The game ended in a 2-1 win for the Eagles with Everton’s Alex Iwobi and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen scoring for Nigeria.
Allnigeriasoccer.com runs the rules over the players on parade at the MKO Abiola National Stadium.

The Starters

Goalkeeper

Francis Uzoho : Great performance, didn’t have much to do in the first half and could do little for Sierra Leone’s goal. Made some usual routine stops but was very commanding of his area and did well when circulating possession. 7/10

Defenders

Ola Aina : Satisfying performance. Wasn’t entirely free to roam the flanks but the few times he did, he was great. Got the pre-assist with a cross which Simon guided for Osimhen to score the winning goal. Was also asked to invert at times and he showed great composure to carry out the task beautifully. 6/10

William Troost-Ekong : Got drawn out of position a few times with one of them almost proving fatal. A bit shaky but improved very much in the second half.

Defended well but got stretchered off in the 79th minute after pulling his hamstring from stopping an incisive pass. 6/10

Semi Ajayi : At his calming best. His calmness on the ball and good choice of pass proved invaluable when the Super Eagles needed to sustain pressure on Sierra Leone’s defence. 7/10

Calvin Bassey : Was caught ball-watching for Sierra Leone’s opening goal which almost saw him go into his shell.

Recovered well to put in a fine performance with his deep crosses proving difficult to handle for the Sierra Leone defence. 7.5/10

Midfielders

Joe Aribo: Great composure given that he played deeper than he would have liked.

Was a bit clumsy in his tackling at times but his ball-retention was outstanding. Needs to improve his focus as the game seems to pass him by at times. 6.5/10

Alex Iwobi: Growing into his deep-lying playmaker role excellently. Made a darting run from deep to score the equaliser with a sweet curling effort.

His passing was accurate and probing, also seems to spray the ball to the flanks far more easily than any other player on the pitch. Seems to have found his place in the team and Peseiro’s trust in the Everton man is glaring.  9.5/10

Moses Simon: A surprise inclusion taking into account his below average performance in the friendlies against Mexico and Ecuador.

Played a new midfield role and performed excellently. Broke the lines with mazy runs through the middle and got both assists for Iwobi and Osimhen’s goals.

Also carried out his defensive duties with so much conviction and drive. 8/10
Samuel Chukwueze: A livewire. Drew many fouls in dangerous opposition zones.

His attacking impetus was top-notch and he was very hard to deal with but was let down by his end product. Almost scored but dragged his close-range shot wide.  6.5/10

Strikers
Sadiq Umar: Was not at the races today. Hold up play was off and his movements were not in sync with Osimhen’s. Didn’t help progress up the pitch very much either and he was subbed off at half-time. 4/10

Victor Osimhen: Was a menace throughout to the Sierra Leone defence. Got rewarded with the winning goal for his hardwork.

His hunger and desire to play on the shoulders of the last man proved too hot to handle. Was replaced late in the game after suffering an injury. 9/10

The Substitutes

Oghenekaro Etebo: Replaced Umar at halftime and did exactly what he was brought on to do. He kept possession and helped progress the ball in phases beautifully.

Dropped in between the centre-backs at times to provide an additional option for ball-retention. 7/10

Ademola Lookman: Almost scored immediately after coming on for Chukwueze as only a last-ditch block stopped him from grabbing an instant goal.

Made good runs and is a good option against tired legs. 6/10

Kenneth Omeruo: Came on for Ekong who got injured and kept things simple at the back. 5/10

Abdullahi Shehu: Replaced Ola Aina who was struggling from fatigue in the 83rd minute. Didn’t venture forward much and kept things simple. 5/10.

Terem Moffi: Played just two minutes after coming off the bench. Not enough time to be rated.

Sofoluwe Mayowa

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