Flying Eagles player grades : Fredrick, Ogwuche stand out; Ogbelu tale of two halves; Abdullahi ratings drop 

Ladan Bosso’s team will face Tunisia in the third place playoff of the CAF U-20 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt following their 1-0 defeat to The Gambia on Monday evening.

 

All Nigeria Soccer rates the performance of the team.

 

The Starters

 

Goalkeeper:

 

Chijioke Aniagboso : The goalkeeper conceded his first goal of the tournament as he was left exposed by the defenders. Aside from the goal, Aniagboso didn't have much to do throughout the duration of the game. 6/10.

 

Defenders

 

Daniel Bameyi : The captain returned to the starting lineup after missing the quarterfinals due to suspension. He struggled to cope with the pace of the energetic Gambians but impressively won a free kick at the edge of the box towards the end of the match as the Eagles sought an equaliser. 5/10.

 

Solomon Agbalaka : The left back showed up defensively and contributed attacking wise but Monday's game was clearly not one of those days to celebrate yet another victory. 6/10.

 

Abel Ogwuche : Named Man of the Match in the 1-0 win against Uganda, the Swedish-based defender showed aerial presence and awareness is one of the few positives from this team. 7.5/10

 

Benjamin Fredrick : He  has proven that he can cut it in the game and is expected to achieve great things in the future, His coordination at the back, clearances and intelligence were in full force. The defender was even close to scoring but was thrice denied by the Gambian defence and goalkeeper, Pa Ebou Dampha. 7.5/10.

 

Midfielders and strikers

 

Onuche Ogbelu : Usually delivers promising performances but in the first half of the game, he had a poor evening. The Gambians scored from his sloppy pass although he had a much more assured game in the second half. 5.5/10.

 

Samson Lawal  : The midfielder recycled possession of the ball very promisingly for the Flying Eagles at the start of the game and popped up at the opposing end with some chances and neat foot works to boot.But as the game advanced, his output like his teammates didn't really meet up with the expectations of Nigerians. 6/10.

 

Muhammad Aminu : The attacking midfielder had his moments but the three corners he took in the second half were disappointing to say the least. Aminu delivered cornerkicks that went way out of the danger zone, which made it impossible for his teammates to have any real chance to attack the ball. 5/10.

 

Ayuba Abubakar : The striker physically created all sorts of problems for the Gambians and saw himself running into the channels when his teammates  seemed to create good chances to score but he was not just clinical enough to finish them. 5/10.

 

Rilwan Sarki : Young and resourceful,  Sarki had plenty of energy in his tank and was ready to take on his markers but the end product was a bit below par. 6/10.

 

Ibrahim Muhammad : One of the bright spots of an underwhelming side, Muhammad changed his wing positioning at will with Sarki but the Gambians coped well after being taken off guard earlier in the game. 7/10. 

 

The Substitutes

 

Jude Sunday : One of three substitutes in the game in the second half.  Tried as much as possible to exert his presence in the team but time was a factor. 6/10.

Ahmed Abdullahi : Has had a lot of stick for his below par performances in Egypt.  Missed a penalty that might have dragged the game to extra time. Not a great tour for the striker. 4/10.

 

Adams Alade : Brought urgency to the team when he was introduced but nothing went past the resolute Gambians. 5/10.

 

 

 Izuchukwu Michael
 

 

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