Izuchukwu OkosiThe Super Eagles of Nigeria finished their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification campaign with a decisive 6-0 win over Sao Tome and Principe at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in Uyo on Sunday evening.
Prime Business Africa here rates the performances of the Nigerian players in action.
Francis Uzoho
The goalkeeper was largely untested by the away side who rarely threatened the Nigerian goal throughout the game. 5/10.
Ola Aina
The Nottingham Forest right back put in a good shift in the game and was his usual bustling self down the right flank. 6/10.
Bruno Onyemaechi
The versatile Boavista defender was deployed at left back and he slotted seamlessly. Proved to be a contender for the starting lineup when all left backs are available. 7/10.
Semi Ajayi
West Bromwich Albion centre back, Ajayi mopped up loose balls in central places albeit his touches sometimes almost cost the Eagles ball possessions. 6/10.
Calvin Bassey
The left back cum centre half covered for Onyemaechi when the latter darted forward.
Defensively he was assuring and had progressive carries. 7/10.
Wilfred Ndidi
One of the best performances for Ndidi in the green and white colours of the Super Eagles.
The Leicester City man had a period of downtime for club and country but on the evidence of Sunday’s game, Ndidi’s bad patch could be over.
Assisted Ademola Lookman for Nigeria’s second goal. 8/10.
Frank Onyeka
The Brentford man showed steel and resilience as he paired Ndidi in the double pivot defensive midfield role. Subbed off in the second half. 7/10.
Kelechi Iheanacho
Deployed in the attacking midifeld position by Jose Peseiro, Iheanacho assisted Taiwo Awoniyi’s goal to make it 3-0.
The ‘senior man’ showed his experience in key moments of the game by creating goal scoring chances.
He even had a goal correctly ruled out for an offside. 8/10.
Ademola Lookman
The Atalanta wideman scored Nigeria’s second goal of the game with a fantastic finish in the first half. He was also in involved in the buildup to two other goals. 7/10.
Taiwo Awoniyi
The Nottingham Forest striker scored the third goal of the evening with a spectacular half volley after he was found with a delightful lob by Iheanacho.
Awoniyi’s upper body strength and speed remains a problem for defenders. 7/10.
Victor Osimhen
The MVP of the match scored a hat-trick trick and moves closer to equalling the goal scoring feat of the legendary Rashidi Yekini on 37.
Currently on 20, Osimhen terrorized the opposition all evening. 9/10.
The Substitutes
Samuel Chukwueze
Scored one and assisted another within a few minutes on the field after he was brought on from the substitute bench.
The AC Milan new signing showed the quality demanded on a regular basis from him by the fans. 7/10.
Victor Boniface
The Bayer Leverkusen striker made his international debut for Nigeria and it was memorable one as he assisted Chukwueze goal.
Boniface was also involved in the third goal scored by Osimhen. 7/10.
Joe Aribo
The Southampton midfielder came off the bench in place of Frank Onyeka and helped in seeing out the game with minimal fuss. 6/10.
Tyronne Ebuehi
The right back who had suffered several injury setbacks made a return to the team, replacing Ola Aina. An okay game for the easygoing defender. 5.5/10.
Raphael Onyedika
The Club Brugge star replaced Wilfred Ndidi towards the end of the game. 5/10
Izuchukwu Okosi is a Nigerian sports and entertainment journalist with two decades of experience in the media industry having begun his media journey in 2002 as an intern at Mundial Sports International (MSI) and Africa Independent Television (AIT), owners of Daar Communications Plc.
In October 2004, Okosi joined Complete Communications Limited, publishers of Complete Sports newspaper and Complete Football magazine as a reporter and later script writer for the Complete Sports studio.
He worked there for 13 years until October 2017.
Okosi also worked various times as Correspondent, Content creator and Editor at Sports Market International Magazine, Opera News, All Nigeria Soccer Media and Iconic Media Watch.
He also undertook freelance writing gigs for some local and international organizations.
Okosi is a member of the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN), Association of Movie Producers (AMP), Association of Voiceover Artistes of Nigeria (AVOA), Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
He has been part of cast in some Nollywood movies and radio dramas including Blood Money 2, Scores To Settle, Dead End 2, Another Campus Tale and Battle Line.
Aside mainstream media and the entertainment industry, he has interests in scouting/unearthing of talents in the sports and creative sectors, exports business and property development.
Follow Us