By Gbemidepo Popoola
The Super Eagles of Nigeria, under Jose Peseiro’s guidance, executed a highly professional performance, based majorly on an outstanding defensive solidity, such as we’ve gotten accustomed to in the on going tournament.
The quintuple defensive unit displayed a very commanding play, shutting down any avenue for Angola’s potent quadruple in attack. Four-goal Gelson Dala, Agostinho Mabululu, Gilberto, and captain Fredy, preventing them from wrecking any havoc on the Nigerian goal.
Here below, are the ratings of the performances of the players who played against Angola on Friday.
Stanley Nwabali: 90 minutes [27, 7 caps]
Rating: 7.5/10
Nwabali’s presence not only boosts the confidence of his teammates but also resonates with many Nigerians.
His fitness to face Angola was a source of relief for the majority who hoped for it, and he justified the anticipation by becoming the third Nigerian goalkeeper in AFCON history to maintain four consecutive clean sheets in the tournament.
Semi Ajayi: 90 minutes [30, 32 caps]
Rating: 6.5/10
Despite Ajayi’s fantastic performance, there is still that one mistake that could unravel all the good work. And he had that shaky moment, but he was solid in the tackle, though his distribution can get better.
William Troost-Ekong: 90 minutes [30, 69 caps]
Rating: 7.5/10
Captain Fantastic was at it again on Friday, intercepting and clearing every danger in the Nigerian box. He made seven clearances, blocked one shot, and won all his aerial duels while committing just one foul on Mabululu. When the story of the Eagles at AFCON 2023 is told, Ekong will be a prominent feature.
Calvin Bassey: 90 minutes [24, 21 caps]
Rating: 8/10
Bassey’s output at AFCON has not surprised us. The signs were there, as he performed excellently with Fulham before joining up with his teammates. His confidence is sky-high, and because of his strength and speed, he can engage any attacker in one-on-one duels. But for the stupid caution, he would have scored nine out of 10.
Ola Aina: 90 minutes [27, 38 caps]
Rating: 7.5/10
The best compliment to be paid to Aina is that Gelson Dala had to be taken off in the second half after getting no change from the Fulham defender. Aina was successful in four of the six tackles he attempted, and he was accurate with 35 of the passes played.
He has been resolute in defending the ball and adequately ensuring there are no leakages, and he has combined well with Simon for forward plays.
Frank Onyeka: 90 minutes [26, 22 caps]
Rating: 7.5/10
The importance of Onyeka to how the Eagles set up defensively will continue to be discussed at the end of the tournament. The Brentford man won six of his seven duels, as he combined well with Aina to deny Gelson Dala any space.
He was also resolute in covering his team when they lost the ball in the final third. Many will hope he gets over his arm injury before Wednesday because he has been immense for the Eagles.
Alex Iwobi: 90 minutes [27, 74 caps]
Rating: 6.5/10
The jury is still out, but judgement has to be withheld because Iwobi is playing in an unfamiliar position. The Fulham midfielder has so much potential, which is why a lot more is expected from him. He turned over the ball too many times and stymied quick offensive forays by not playing the first pass.
He was also tired in the last 25 minutes, which created gaps around Onyeka in midfield.
Zaidu Sanusi: 80 minutes [26, 21 caps]
Rating: 6/10
Sanusi has been a frustrating player for the Eagles, and sometimes one has to ask, What was he thinking? On two occasions, he had the chance for easy deliveries into the box, but he continued hogging the ball. He also made needless tackles, giving away cheap free kicks, though Peseiro seems happy with his performances.
“It’s not easy playing wing-back in the system,” Peseiro disclosed in his post-match press conference, “because they must go and come back. Zaidu played better in this match than the last match, and I know any player can make mistakes at any point.”
Moses Simon: 90 minutes [28, 68 caps]
Rating: 7.5/10
We thought the Simon that dazzled at the 2021 AFCON had flamed out, but here he was delivering another statement performance against Angola.
Simon remains unfazed by how many times he fails to successfully dribble past opponents because he always comes again, and his run in the first half to create Lookman’s goal was one in which he believed there was going to be an end product.
Ademola Lookman: 90 minutes [26, 17 caps]
Rating: 8/10
Lookman is finally an Eagle. It took some time, and definitely, the change in formation pushed him inside the pitch, where he has become a sort of second striker behind Osimhen. His well-taken goal showed all his forward skills honed, especially at Atalanta, where he has scored in double figures in the last two seasons.
Victor Osimhen: 90 minutes [24, 33 caps]
Rating: 7.5/10
Osimhen displayed his characteristic warrior-like approach, tirelessly running the channels and engaging defenders in intense battles. Despite having a goal disallowed because of a marginal offside decision, he continued to lead the forward line with aggression and clear intent.
His teammates recognise his importance, acknowledging the indispensable hard work he contributes, even if he doesn’t score. Currently, there is no other attacker in the Eagles’ squad who can match the relentless pressing efforts he brings to the team.
Substitutes
Alhassan Yusuf: 10 minutes [2, 3 caps]
Rating: 5/10
He added some energy in the middle of the pack and tried to calm the tempo.
Joe Aribo: 3 minutes [27, 32 caps]
Rating: NA
Kenneth Omeruo: 3 minutes [30, 66 caps]
Rating: NA
Paul Onuachu: 3 minutes [29, 23 caps]
Rating: NA
Manager: Jose Peseiro [63, 22nd game as Eagles manager]
Rating: 7/10
Nigeria’s Super Eagles Coach, Jose Peseiro
Peseiro’s in-match management can be better with more timely and assured substitutions. It was evident that Iwobi was showing signs of fatigue five minutes before his substitution, and Osimhen should have been replaced by the 80th minute.
His counterpart, Angola coach Pedro Gonçalves, paid him the best compliment when he said, “Nigeria deserve this win because they were more efficient than us in the final third. I congratulate Nigerians and their players.”
